How to apply for Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP) — Suwannee County

Who it's for

The Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP) is a Florida Department of Elder Affairs program funded through the federal LIHEAP block grant but administered separately from regular LIHEAP — explicitly targeted at low-income households with at least one person age 60+. In Suwannee County, EHEAP is delivered by Suwannee River Economic Council (SREC), the local 501(c)(3) AAA delivery partner that also operates Title III nutrition and CCE services across a four-county region (Suwannee + Hamilton + Levy + Dixie). EHEAP provides emergency assistance to seniors facing imminent utility shutoff, deposit requirements for service restoration, or a home cooling/heating crisis. Maximum benefits are typically $600-$1,000 per emergency, paid directly to the utility company or the AC repair vendor. EHEAP can stack with regular LIHEAP (fl.suwannee.cfcaa_liheap) — a senior household may receive both. Income eligibility is set at 150% of the Federal Poverty Guideline. At least one household member must be 60 years old or older. Apply by calling SREC at 904-964-6696 extension 23 — same intake as FREE congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, CCE in-home services, and senior services case management.

What you'll need

• Proof of age 60+ for at least one household member (Florida driver's license, Florida ID, or Medicare card)
• Proof of household income for all members (Social Security award letter, pension statement, SSI award letter, pay stubs)
• Proof of Suwannee County residency (utility bill, lease, or government correspondence)
• Documentation of the energy emergency: utility shutoff notice, broken-equipment work order or repair estimate, or service-restoration deposit requirement
• Current utility bill

Where to apply

Renewals

up to 2 benefits per program year per household per the Florida DOEA rule