Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)

Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)

Colorado’s Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) helps eligible households with winter home-heating costs. This entry is a historical reference for the 2025–26 season. The official Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) page identifies that season as beginning on November 1, 2025 and ending on April 30, 2026. The official material reviewed for this update does not announce a next-season application opening or deadline, so this page does not present LEAP as currently accepting applications.

LEAP is federally funded and administered in Colorado through CDHS and county human services offices. Its normal benefit is a one-time payment made on behalf of an approved household, usually directly to the primary heating fuel or utility company. It is intended to reduce part of a household’s winter heating burden, not to pay every energy charge or guarantee that a household’s full balance will be cleared.

2025–26 status at a glance

The date in the front matter is the real closing date for the published cycle. It is not a promise that a new round is open. If CDHS publishes another season, the program page should be checked for the new income table, application dates, and forms before this entry is changed from historical to active.

What LEAP paid for

The program addressed a household’s primary home-heating expense. Depending on the household’s circumstances, that could involve a utility bill or a fuel supplier connected to the main heating source. CDHS describes the payment as assistance with a portion of winter heating costs. The 2026 CDHS release gives a $200-to-$1,000 range for the season, but the amount was not a flat award and was not guaranteed to every approved applicant.

The official explanation says the calculation can consider the primary heating costs of the home, total household income, the amount of LEAP funding available, and the number of applications received. CDHS also says the highest benefits go to households with the highest primary heating fuel costs. That means two households with the same number of people may receive different amounts if their heating burden or income differs.

In most cases, the approved benefit went directly to the primary heating fuel company. The applicant received a notice stating the benefit amount and where the payment was being sent. This is why an applicant needed accurate vendor information and should not have assumed that LEAP would arrive as unrestricted cash in a personal bank account.

LEAP did not provide financial assistance for temporary or portable heaters. A portable electric heater, space heater, or similar device was not the type of primary heating system covered by the regular benefit. CDHS separately describes support for repair or replacement of an inoperable primary heating system, such as a furnace or wood-burning stove, for households that qualify. That heating-system assistance is a related pathway and should not be confused with the standard heating-bill payment.

Who qualified for the published season

The core eligibility conditions were specific. An applicant needed to live in Colorado and pay home-heating costs either directly to a utility company or to a landlord as part of rent. The household’s income needed to be no more than 60% of Colorado’s state median income level used for the season. CDHS defines the household for this purpose as all people living with the applicant for whom the applicant is financially responsible.

The state’s published 2025–26 monthly gross-income table was:

These figures belonged to the 2025–26 season. They should not be carried into a future season without checking CDHS’s replacement table, because state median income figures can change.

The official 2026 CDHS announcement also described the family-of-four threshold as household income below $83,256 per year. The monthly table and annual description are two ways CDHS presented the same season’s income standard; applicants should have used the application instructions and household definition rather than trying to convert the figures themselves.

Lawful-presence documentation was another part of the published requirements. CDHS listed a Naturalization Certificate, Born Abroad Certificate, U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card, or documentation of Refugee or Asylee status as examples of valid documentation. The 2026 announcement described the household as needing at least one U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, while the program page instructed applicants to provide proof for the applicant and household members born outside the United States. Anyone applying in a later season should follow the exact wording and document list in that season’s official form.

Having another public benefit did not automatically prevent participation. CDHS’s FAQ says people receiving programs such as Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, Colorado Works/TANF, food assistance, Old Age Pension, or Aid to the Needy Disabled/Aid to the Blind could still apply. Those programs did not replace LEAP’s own income, heating-cost, residence, and documentation checks.

Heat included in rent could also qualify in some circumstances. CDHS says a renter whose heat is included in rent may qualify if the household does not live in subsidized housing and submits the proper documentation. A lease, rent record, or landlord statement needed to make the heating responsibility understandable to the reviewing office. The exact evidence depended on the application and household arrangement.

How applications worked during 2025–26

The published application routes were:

1. Apply online through the Colorado PEAK website.
2. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) to apply by telephone or request a paper application.
3. Download the English or Spanish LEAP application and send it by mail or email to the county address supplied by CDHS.
4. Pick up or drop off an application at the local county human services office.

Those were the routes for the closed 2025–26 season. They should be treated as reference instructions, not proof that an application can be filed today. Because CDHS has not published a next-season opening in the official material reviewed for this update, the safest next step for a person seeking help now is to check the official LEAP page and call HEAT-HELP for current out-of-season options. A new application form, income table, or county submission address should come from CDHS rather than from an old copy saved elsewhere.

For the closed cycle, a complete submission mattered. CDHS warned that unanswered questions or missing requested information delayed processing because LEAP had to send a letter asking for corrections. Applicants should have gathered income records for every household member, including pay stubs and proof of other income such as seasonal work, self-employment, public assistance, or veterans’ benefits. They also needed the household and lawful-presence information requested by the form, plus documentation showing the primary heating expense and the relevant vendor or landlord details.

A practical packet for that season would have included:

• A completed and signed application with every household member listed correctly.
• Income evidence for the month before the application was signed, as directed by CDHS.
• The required identity and lawful-presence documents.
• A recent heating bill, fuel account information, or acceptable proof of heat included in rent.
• A reliable phone number and the correct county contact information.
• Copies of everything submitted and any confirmation or notice received.

An applicant should have answered follow-up requests promptly. CDHS reported that most non-emergency applications were processed within 10–25 days when the file was complete. If heat was about to be shut off or the household was running out of propane, CDHS said a qualifying application might be expedited in about 10 days and directed applicants to call HEAT-HELP. The applicant still needed to keep working with the utility or fuel supplier on payment arrangements and should not have stopped paying bills while waiting for a decision.

What happened after a decision

An approved household generally received a notice identifying the benefit amount and the destination of the payment. The payment usually went to the primary heating fuel vendor rather than directly to the applicant. Because LEAP assistance covered only part of the heating burden, the household remained responsible for reviewing the account, confirming that the payment was credited, and asking the utility about budget billing or a payment arrangement if a balance remained.

CDHS said a household could receive heating assistance through LEAP only once per season. A household that had already received a 2025–26 benefit should not have expected a second standard LEAP payment for that same season. If the household was denied, it could call HEAT-HELP to ask about other energy-assistance options. CDHS also points to Energy Outreach and other state programs, but each has its own rules and application process.

The Crisis Intervention Program operates year-round and may help with repair or replacement of a home’s primary heating system. The official LEAP page lists the FOR MY HEAT line at 1-855-469-4328 for additional information about that pathway. Weatherization assistance through the Governor’s Energy Office is another separate resource intended to improve household energy efficiency. These alternatives may be useful after the regular seasonal intake has closed, but they are not evidence that the 2025–26 LEAP application window remains open.

Questions to ask before relying on this page

Can I apply using the old 2025–26 deadline? No. April 30, 2026 was the closing date for the published cycle and this page is marked as historical. Check CDHS for a new season before submitting anything.

Is the $200-to-$1,000 amount guaranteed? No. CDHS described that range for the 2025–26 season, while the actual award depended on heating costs, household income, available funding, and applications received.

Can renters qualify? Potentially. The household needed to pay heating costs through rent and provide the documentation CDHS required. Subsidized-housing arrangements may be handled differently, so the county office or HEAT-HELP should confirm what evidence is acceptable.

Can LEAP pay for a portable heater? No. CDHS specifically excludes temporary and portable heating sources.

Can I receive help with a broken furnace? A qualifying household may have been eligible for primary heating-system repair or replacement through the related crisis pathway. Call FOR MY HEAT for the current process.

Where should I look for the next deadline? Start with the official CDHS LEAP page linked below. If the page has not yet posted a new season, call HEAT-HELP rather than relying on a third-party listing or an old form.

Official links

• Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), Colorado Department of Human Services
• Colorado PEAK application portal
• HEAT-HELP: 1-866-432-8435
• FOR MY HEAT: 1-855-469-4328
• Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

The official CDHS page is the source of truth for whether a new season is open, which income limits apply, what documents are required, and where applications should be sent. This entry preserves the verified 2025–26 facts as an archive and does not invent a next-season deadline.