The Energy Assistance Program officially opens on November 1 beginning with the home bound/elderly.

The Energy Assistance Program, or EAP, pays for some home heating and cooling costs for low-income eligible families including those in crisis situations.  It is administered through North Georgia Community Action Inc., and the Georgia Department of Human Services. 

Home bound households are defined as a household in which every member is confined to the home because of medical conditions or disabilities. Elderly households are defined as house holds in which every member is age 65 or older, unless there is someone in the household younger than age 18. 

All households participating in the program must provide verification and meet the income criteria, be responsible for paying the cost of energy for home heating directly to the supplier, and be a U.S. citizen or alien admitted to the U.S. for lawful, permanent residence. 

Applications for all energy assistance programs can be made through a local Community Action Agency or non-profit organization. The assistance is available in all 159 counties in Georgia. The general public cannot apply for Regular Energy Assistance until the first of December each year.

For more information in Chattooga County call 706-857-0729