Contacts:
Travis DeNeal | Community Outreach Organizer, Saline Shines & Prairie Rivers Network salineshines@prairierivers.org
Amanda Pankau | Director of Energy and Community Resiliency, Prairie Rivers Network apankau@prairierivers.org | 217-840-3057
illinois announces october 1 opening of energy assistance program; saline county effort raises awareness about other energy saving programs
ILLINOIS– Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced in a press release last week that they are are “encouraging eligible families to apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to support income eligible households with utility costs for natural gas, propane, and electricity. Applications will open October 1, 2026, and will remain open through August 13, 2027, or until funds are exhausted.”
Saline Shines, an energy savings outreach program based in Saline County, is spreading the word about LIHEAP’s opening date as well as other energy savings opportunities, like Ameren’s Home Energy Efficiency Program and Community Solar, a subscription-based solar savings program.
“LIHEAP can provide important, one-time assistance to help eligible households manage their energy costs, but there are also programs that can help families save on their utility bills every single month,” said Travis DeNeal, Community Outreach Organizer with Saline Shines.
Ameren has programs to help their low-income customers save energy, and therefore money, with upgrades like smart thermostats, insulation, air sealing, and more. Community Solar is a relatively new subscription-based solar program that allows households to benefit from solar energy without installing solar panels on their own property, with many projects offering guaranteed monthly savings. Community Solar subscribers keep Ameren as their energy utility and the offering is different from a third-party alternative electric supplier. People can learn more about LIHEAP, Ameren’s programs, and Community Solar via Saline Shines’ website at www.salineshines.com.
While programs like Community Solar and Ameren’s energy-efficiency offerings can help households save on their utility bills month after month, LIHEAP provides important assistance for eligible households with their immediate energy costs. The program opens as we enter the winter months, when the costs of natural gas, propane, and electricity increase for many Illinoisans. The consumer watchdog group Citizens Utility Board (CUB) recently alerted Ameren customers of a new electricity supply price that is lower than the summer price but still higher than this time last year. In fact, the 2026 price is around 24% higher than the price set last October 2025. CUB mentioned, “a number of reasons for high prices, including an increase in energy demand from new and proposed date centers.”
In Saline and surrounding counties, LIHEAP is administered by the Wabash Area Development Inc., or WADI, and a local representative says the first step is getting an appointment with WADI. Saline County residents may call WADI at (618) 252-2680 to apply or go online to https://www.wadi-inc.com/ and click on the button (toward the bottom of the page) that says “schedule an appointment”. That will open an eligibility questionnaire, which leads to setting an appointment.
The state’s website includes an income eligibility chart and people can click on “Find my local agency” to determine what local agency administers LIHEAP in their county.
Only certain households may apply beginning October 1, including households with older adults, children, and those who have faced or are facing disconnection from their utility provider. Households that don’t meet the early registration requirements but are otherwise eligible may apply starting November 1.
To ensure that the household’s application process is a smooth one, applicants should have the following verifying documents on hand:
- a copy of the household’s current heating and electric bill, along with a disconnect notice if they have one,
- a Social Security card for each household member,
- proof of household income for the 30 days prior, and
- a driver’s license or state identification card.
Saline Shines is a program of Prairie Rivers Network (PRN), an Illinois nonprofit organization with a 59-year history of supporting environmental protection and community well-being across the state. The initiative is also supported by the Sol Systems Eldorado Impact Project, a long-term community benefits program to reinvest revenue from the Eldorado Solar project back into the community. Other investments have been made to the Eldorado High School, Saline County 4H, Food Works, Faith in Place, and more.
At Prairie Rivers Network (PRN), we protect water, heal land, and inspire change. Using the creative power of science, law, and collective action, we protect and restore our rivers, return healthy soils and diverse wildlife to our lands, and transform how we care for the earth and for each other. PRN is the Illinois affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. To learn more please visit www.prairierivers.org.
