HEAP Overview

The Breathing Association (TBA) understands that low-income families financially struggle. In March 2020, the COVID-19 crisis created a new population of applicants, households experiencing financial and medical vulnerability for the first time. TBA is here for those households we have assisted in the past and those who are navigating social service systems for the first time. Our process includes educating customers of our available resources, processing applications for all of our programs and linking households to partner agencies where appropriate. We understand HEAP dollars help protect the health and safety of our customers. We provide phone interviews for assistance and approve payments and budget plans and continue our tradition of being available when health crises besieged our community. (116 years ago, we were on the frontlines of treating patients during the TB epidemic.)

Our history is rich. In 1988, TBA became the first agency to join public health and energy with health care services by providing air conditioners and electric utility vendor payments to households who were income eligible and had a family member with a lung health diagnosis.

In 2005, TBA expanded its summer only energy assistance program by opening a year-round HEAP program for eligible Franklin County residents. This program provides a number of services under its HEAP umbrella: The Winter Crisis Program (WCP), Summer Crisis Program (SCP), Percentage Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus), The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) and Regular HEAP.

Since COVID-19, the requirement for face-to-face interviews has been waived and a phone interview for assistance is sufficient. We can make an in-person appointment for you if you prefer. Household members must provide documentation (see program guidelines) of income eligibility. If a household receives a payment, a PIPP (or an alternate payment plan) will be set up to maintain stability while making payments more manageable.

Please send all of your documents for HEAP to the below email, fax or phone number in order to avoid delays in processing application.

The delay for incomplete cases could result in a customer’s gas, electric, or water being shut off.

HEAP Phone: (614)-457-2997

HEAP Fax: (614)-457-1934

HEAP Email: [email protected]

HEAP Office Hours:

Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed for lunch 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Appointments are from 7 to 11 and 11 to 4.

To call our office phone (614) 457-2997.
To call our 24 hour phone line for an appointment (614)-969-0978
or go on line and make your own appointment at : https://app.capappointments.com/CapAppointments.aspx?c=1COBA.

**For Appointments at the Gladden House site call:
(614)-227-1600

Breathe the Story – Angelique

In partnership with:

Ohio Development Services Agency
NBC4 Here For You
OhioHealth
Gladden Community House

Community HEAP Hours at Neighborhood Locations:

HEAP clients are seen by appointment only at our neighborhood sites:

Ohio Health Eastside HEAP Office

4850 E Main Street
Columbus, Ohio 43213

Monday thru Friday; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gladden House Westside HEAP Office

183 Hawkes Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43223

Wednesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Call 614-227-1600 to set up an appointment.

Linden Branch – Columbus Metropolitan Library

2223 Cleveland Ave
Columbus, Ohio 43211

Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Karl Road Library

5590 Karl Road,
Columbus Ohio 43223

Monday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Appointments only

Frequently Asked Questions

Your crisis program grant will be paid within 30 days of your application’s approval. If you receive a new bill, don’t panic. The Ohio Department of Development will make the payment. You can also call our office to find out the status of your application at (614) 457-2997.

For your convenience, there is an Interactive Voice System available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Call (614) 969-0978 to make an appointment.

The Columbia Gas or American Electric Power utility program’s current PIPP Plus program (Percentage of Income Payment Program Plus) was created to keep you out of debt. Every time you make an on-time PIPP Plus payment to the utility companies, you win!

Here is how it works: 

  • When you sign up for PIPP Plus and you pay your PIPP Plus bill on time, the balance of your current monthly charge and 1/24th of your total initial utility bill will be forgiven. Your Case Manager will divide the total balance due by 24 to determine the amount to be forgiven after on-time payments.

  • Example: Mrs. X has a Columbia Gas past-due bill of $864. Her Case Manager placed her on the PIPP Plus program for $43 per month (5% of her gross income). Each month she pays on time, her total amount past due will be reduced by $36 ($864 divided by 24 months = $36). Each month Mrs. X makes her PIPP utility payments on time, two things happen:

    1. The amount over and above her PIPP Plus payment is forgiven on her current bill. Example: Mrs. X’s current bill is $172. She makes an on-time PIPP payment of $43 and the balance of $129 is forgiven.

    2. The total past-due bill is reduced. Example: Mrs. X’s past-due total of $864 divided by 24 was $36. Each month, $36 will be forgiven from her total past-due bill. When she completes the 24 months of on-time payments, her balance due will be $0.

From the GreenHome Tip Sheet, learn what to do to stay cool…

Learn these good habits:

  • To block the sun’s heat in the summer, keep drapes, curtains and blinds closed on the sunny side of your house during the day. On less humid nights, turn off the air conditioner and open the windows to help cool the air.
  • If you need to cool one room more than the rest of the house, use a fan to spread the cool air around the room.
  • Spend time on the lower floors of a building where cooler air stays.
  • Keep the lights off whenever possible and run your dishwasher, oven, stove and clothes dryer late in the evening when it is cooler. They all create heat, especially incandescent and halogen lights.
  • Try using a room-sized dehumidifier to cool the room. Removing humidity helps take the warmth out of the air.

If you rent or own:

  • Seal leaks between outdoor doors and their frames with weather-stripping.
  • Fill leaks around window frames and exterior walls with caulk.
  • If you can, plant shady trees that grow lots of leaves around your house, so that they can cast shade on the house.
  • If you are shopping for a window air conditioner, look for one with the Energy Star® label (shown to the right).
  • If you can, install ceiling fans to cool rooms.
  • If you rent, ask your landlord to install high-efficiency equipment when replacing air conditioners, furnaces, refrigerators, clothes washers, and dryers.

If you own a home, you can also:

  • Replace your old thermostat with a programmable thermostat (also called a “set back” thermostat). Those with the Energy Star® label are best.
  • If you have to replace a central air conditioner unit, buy a high-efficiency model with a “SEER” rating of at least 12 (look for the Energy Star® label).

If you have a central air conditioner:

    • Set your thermostat as warm as possible while still comfortable.  Recommended levels are 72° Fahrenheit (22° Celsius) when the house is occupied, and 78 (25° Celsius) when you are away from home or sleeping.
    • Close the air vents in unused rooms and keep the air vents clear of draperies, furniture, and obstructions that block cool air.
    • Keep the windows and doors closed when you are running the air conditioner.
    • Clean the furnace air filter every month. Replace it at least once every three months.
    • Place lamps, TVs, etc. away from the thermostat. They can give off heat that tricks the thermostat.
    • Clean the outside condenser coil on the air conditioner unit once a year to keep it free of debris.

 

For more information: