There is no statewide online LIHEAP application in Texas. The program is called CEAP, the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program, and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) funds roughly 30 local agencies to take applications and pay utility companies on your behalf. TDHCA never accepts an application directly. To apply, you have to find the one agency assigned to your county, follow that agency's intake method (online portal, scheduled appointment, walk-in, or mail), and submit a document packet that covers every person in your household. This guide walks through the lookup, the paperwork, the submission, and what happens after you hit send.
Step 1: Find the CEAP Provider for Your County
This is the step most people get wrong. Searching for "Texas LIHEAP application" turns up TDHCA pages that have no application on them. Your provider depends entirely on your address.
Three ways to find yours:
Use the TDHCA Help for Texans tool. Go to tdhca.texas.gov/help-for-texans, select the utility bill payment help category, enter your city or county, and click Find Help. The results list the organizations funded to serve your area, with phone numbers and addresses.
Call TDHCA's toll-free line at 877-399-8939, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you call from a landline, the system can route you straight to the provider for your county.
Call 2-1-1 or visit 211texas.org. The 2-1-1 Texas operators maintain the same provider directory and can also point you to local church and nonprofit funds if CEAP is closed.
Two things to know before you call. First, TDHCA states plainly that listed providers may already be at capacity and may not be able to help everyone who contacts them. Second, some counties are served by more than one organization, often split between a county department and a community action agency, and each one may have different intake days.
Here is how intake works in the four largest metro areas, which gives you a sense of the range:
| Area | Agency that takes CEAP applications | How to start |
|---|
| Harris, Brazoria, Galveston counties | BakerRipley | Online application when open; closes to new applicants once capacity is reached |
| Dallas County | Dallas County Health and Human Services | Appointment only, call 214-819-1848 |
| Bexar County | Bexar County Economic and Community Development | Online queue when available, otherwise call 210-335-3666 for a limited appointment slot |
| Travis County | Travis County Health and Human Services | Online pre-screening then full application, or walk into one of six community centers, 512-584-4120 |
San Antonio residents have a second route: the City of San Antonio Department of Human Services handles utility assistance for city residents at 210-207-8198, and CPS Energy customers can also be referred into the REAP program.
If your county is not one of these, do not guess from a neighboring county. Run the lookup.
Step 2: Confirm You Are Under the Income Limit
Texas sets CEAP eligibility at 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, measured as gross household income (before taxes) for the 30 days before you apply. There is no asset test, so savings, a home, and a vehicle do not count against you.
| Household Size | Annual Income Limit (150% FPL) | Monthly |
|---|
| 1 person | $23,940 | $1,995 |
| 2 people | $32,460 | $2,705 |
| 3 people | $40,980 | $3,415 |
| 4 people | $49,500 | $4,125 |
Add approximately $8,520 per additional household member to the annual figure. For the full table through larger households, what counts as income, and the categorical shortcuts, see our Texas LIHEAP income limits guide and the Texas LIHEAP eligibility breakdown.
Because eligibility uses the past 30 days rather than last year's tax return, a recent job loss or cut in hours can make you eligible even if your annual income looks too high. Apply on the strength of your current 30 days.
Step 3: Assemble the Document Packet
CEAP intake is document-heavy, and an incomplete packet is the single most common reason an application stalls. Most Texas agencies ask for all of the following:
- Photo ID for the applicant and identification for every other household member. Agencies generally accept a Texas driver license or state ID card, passport, Matricula Consular, or a school ID for children.
- Social Security numbers for every member of the household, including children. Many agencies want to see the actual card or an official document showing the number.
- Proof of income for all adults 18 and older covering the past 30 days. Pay stubs, an employer wage statement, Social Security or SSI award letters, unemployment benefit statements, retirement or pension statements, VA benefit letters, or child support records. If an adult in the household has no income, expect to sign a zero-income statement.
- Your current utility bill, electric, natural gas, or propane, in the applicant's name at the service address. Several agencies want the original or a full copy rather than a screenshot of a balance.
- Proof of residency at the service address, usually satisfied by a lease, mortgage statement, or the utility bill itself.
- Proof of U.S. citizenship, non-citizen national status, or qualified legal resident status for the household members being counted.
- Your shutoff or disconnection notice, if you have one. This is what moves your file into the crisis queue instead of the regular queue.
Make a complete copy of everything before you hand it over, and write down the name of the person who took your file. If your agency uses an online portal and lets you submit with documents missing, you generally get about 15 days to upload the rest before the application can be denied.
Step 4: Submit Through Your Agency's Intake Channel
Texas agencies use four submission methods, and your provider may offer only one:
Online portal. Several of the larger agencies run their own portal, sometimes with a pre-screening questionnaire that has to clear before the real application opens. Portals are usually the fastest route because the file enters the system the moment your uploads are complete.
Scheduled appointment. Common at county health and human services departments. Appointments are released in limited batches, often on a specific weekday morning, and they fill in minutes. If the line is busy, keep calling at the stated release time rather than mid-week.
Walk-in or application event. Some providers run intake days at community centers or partner with local nonprofits for one-day enrollment events. Arrive early with the full packet. These events are typically first come, first served.
Mail or drop-off. Usually offered as a backup. Slowest of the four, and you have no confirmation that your packet arrived unless you follow up.
Whichever route you use, you are applying once per program year. The Texas CEAP program year runs October 1 through September 30, so you reapply annually rather than renewing automatically.
Step 5: What Happens After You Submit
Your application goes to an eligibility worker who verifies income, household composition, and your utility account. Processing time varies by agency and by how much funding is left. A clean regular application commonly takes a few weeks; a packet with missing documents can sit indefinitely until you supply them.
If you are approved, the money does not come to you. Your agency sends a payment, often called a pledge, directly to your electric, gas, or propane provider, and it posts as a credit on your account. Check your next bill or your online utility account to confirm the credit landed. If your utility had already issued a disconnection notice, the pledge is what the utility uses to hold service.
Benefit size depends on your household size, income, energy costs, climate zone, and what the agency has left. Routine bill payment assistance usually lands in the few-hundred-dollar range for the year. The program rules allow much more in unusual cases: TDHCA caps total household heating and cooling assistance at $12,600 per program year, a ceiling that only comes into play when the agency is repairing or replacing a heating or cooling unit, plus up to $1,800 in crisis assistance.
Priority goes to households that include someone age 60 or older, a person with a disability, or a child under 6, and to households with the highest energy burden relative to income. If you fall into one of those groups, say so at intake and make sure it is recorded on your application.
You also have appeal rights. If your application is denied, if you disagree with the amount, or if your file is sitting on a delay, you can request a hearing with your subrecipient agency. Ask for the appeal procedure in writing and note the deadline, which the agency sets.
The Crisis Path: Shutoff Notices and Broken HVAC
Crisis assistance is a separate component of CEAP and it runs year round, including through Texas summers when a cooling shutoff is the emergency. You qualify for the crisis track if you have received a disconnection notice, service is already off, you are out of fuel, or your heating or cooling system has failed during extreme weather.
Federal LIHEAP rules require that a household in an energy crisis receive assistance within 48 hours, shortened to 18 hours when the crisis is life threatening. Texas agencies work to those windows, but the clock starts when your application is complete, not when you first call. That makes the document packet even more important on the crisis track.
What to do if you have a shutoff notice:
- Call your CEAP provider and use the word "crisis." Ask specifically for the crisis intake process, which is often different from the regular queue.
- Tell them the disconnection date on your notice.
- Call your utility or retail electric provider the same day and tell them you have a pending CEAP application. Many will place a short hold or set up a deferred payment plan while a pledge is processed.
- Bring or upload the notice itself. Without it, your file may be routed to the regular queue.
If your provider is out of crisis funds, call 2-1-1 and ask for other utility assistance in your county. Church funds, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and utility-run hardship programs frequently fill gaps that CEAP cannot.
Common Reasons Texas CEAP Applications Get Rejected
- The utility bill is not in the applicant's name. If your name is not on the account, the agency generally cannot pay it. Renters whose utilities are bundled into rent face a different problem, covered in our guide on LIHEAP when utilities are included in rent.
- Income documents do not cover the full 30 days before the application date.
- A household adult is missing from the paperwork. Everyone living at the address counts, including adult children and roommates.
- Social Security numbers are missing for children.
- The household already received CEAP in the same program year.
- The agency ran out of funds before reaching your file. This is not a denial on the merits, and you can usually reapply when the next allocation arrives.
For the other programs that commonly pair with energy assistance in Texas, including SNAP and Lifeline, see our Texas benefits overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for LIHEAP online in Texas?
Only through some local agencies. Texas has no statewide online LIHEAP application. Several larger providers, including agencies serving Harris, Bexar, and Travis counties, run their own online portals. Others take applications only by appointment, at walk-in events, or by mail. Run the TDHCA Help for Texans lookup to see what your county's agency offers.
Where do I apply for LIHEAP in Texas?
At the local CEAP subrecipient assigned to your county, not at TDHCA. Find it at tdhca.texas.gov/help-for-texans under utility bill payment help, by calling 877-399-8939, or by calling 2-1-1.
What documents do I need to apply for CEAP in Texas?
Photo ID for the applicant plus identification for every household member, Social Security numbers for everyone including children, proof of income for all adults covering the previous 30 days, your current electric, gas, or propane bill in your name, proof of residency, proof of citizenship or qualified legal resident status, and your disconnection notice if you have one.
How long does the Texas CEAP application take?
A complete regular application commonly takes a few weeks to process, though it depends on your agency's backlog and remaining funds. Crisis applications are handled on the federal LIHEAP timeline of 48 hours, or 18 hours when the situation is life threatening, measured from the point your application is complete.
Does CEAP pay me or my utility company?
Your utility company. The agency sends a pledge payment directly to your electric, gas, or propane provider and it appears as a credit on your account. No funds are sent to the household.
What if I have a shutoff notice right now?
Call your local CEAP provider and ask for crisis assistance by name, give them the disconnection date, and separately notify your utility that a CEAP application is pending so they can consider a hold or a deferred payment plan. Bring the notice itself to intake.
How often can I get Texas CEAP assistance?
Generally once per program year, which runs October 1 through September 30. You reapply each year; there is no automatic renewal.
Can renters apply for Texas LIHEAP?
Yes, as long as the utility account is in your name at your address. Renters whose utilities are included in the rent payment usually cannot be helped directly by CEAP and should ask their provider about other options.
What happens if my application is denied?
You can request a hearing with the agency that handled your file to appeal a denial, the benefit amount, or a delay. Ask for the appeal procedure and deadline in writing. If the issue was a missing document, supplying it quickly is often faster than appealing.
Is there an asset limit for Texas CEAP?
No. Texas CEAP looks at gross household income over the past 30 days against 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Savings, home ownership, and vehicles do not disqualify you.
