A first winter in an older Utah County rental can produce a gas bill nobody budgeted for. The help that exists is better than most people assume, and it is local: in Utah County the federal home energy program is run out of an office in Vineyard, and a second program will come and insulate the house.
This guide covers the HEAT program and how to apply through Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG), the crisis program for shutoff notices, MAG's weatherization program, and the gas and power discounts tied to HEAT eligibility. It draws on MAG's HEAT and weatherization pages, the Utah Office of Consumer Services and the state's My Doorway resource page, checked on November 13, 2026.
The short version
- HEAT helps income-qualified households pay energy bills once a year. In Utah County, MAG runs it: 801-229-3855, heat@magutah.gov.
- Income: at or below 150% of the federal poverty line for the month before you apply.
- When: MAG accepts applications October 1 through September 30.
- How: online, or a paper application (English or Spanish) by mail, fax or email. In-person help by appointment, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays.
- Processing: four to six weeks. Keep paying your bills meanwhile.
- Shutoff notice: call MAG about the Utility Crisis Program the same day.
- Weatherization: free home efficiency work for households at or below 200% of poverty, renters included. 801-229-3850.
- Discounts: HEAT eligibility can unlock HELP (Rocky Mountain Power) and the Energy Assistance Fund (Enbridge Gas Utah).
The programs side by side
| Program | Who runs it | Income line | What you get | How often |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEAT | MAG (state program) | 150% of poverty | Payment toward energy costs | Once a year |
| Utility Crisis Program | MAG | Crisis guidelines | Extra help with a shutoff notice | When in crisis |
| Weatherization | MAG | 200% of poverty | Free efficiency and safety work on the home | Once per 15 years per home |
| HELP | Rocky Mountain Power | HEAT-eligible | Monthly electric discount | Monthly |
| Energy Assistance Fund | Enbridge Gas Utah | HEAT-qualified | One-time gas credit | Once per heating season |
Who should apply, even if unsure
Three kinds of households tend to talk themselves out of applying and should not.
Households whose income just dropped. Because HEAT looks at a single month, the month before you apply, a recent layoff, a reduction in hours or the end of a seasonal job can put a household under the line even if last year's income was well above it.
Older residents on fixed incomes. The state gives priority to residents 60 and older, and a Social Security check that covered the bills in May can fall short in January.
Families with young children. Households with children under 6 are also a priority group, and they are the households where a cold house is least acceptable.
If you are close to the line, apply. The worst outcome is a denial letter; the best is a credit on the bill in the coldest month of the year.
What HEAT is
HEAT stands for Home Energy Assistance Target. Utah's Office of Consumer Services describes it as a federally funded program that provides winter heating assistance and year-round crisis intervention for eligible low-income households throughout the state. Locally, MAG describes it as assistance with energy costs for income-qualified households, with one benefit per year.
MAG serves Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties. If you live anywhere in Utah County, from Lehi to Santaquin, MAG is your HEAT office.
Who qualifies
MAG lists three requirements:
- You are the person responsible for the utilities. The account, or the obligation to pay it, is yours.
- Household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty line for the month before the month you apply. MAG links an income chart from its HEAT page; check the current version before you assume you are over the line.
- At least one person in the household is a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen.
The state's My Doorway resource page adds that the household must include at least one adult (18 or older, or emancipated) and that priority goes to households with a disabled member, residents 60 and older, and households with children under 6.
Note what the income test measures: one month, the month before you apply. A household whose income dropped recently, after a job loss or a cut in hours, is measured on that lower month.
When to apply
MAG says it accepts HEAT applications from October 1 through September 30. The state Office of Consumer Services describes HEAT as opening each November 1 for the heating season. Program funding and the local calendar are set by the agency doing the work, so go by MAG, and if you are unsure, call.
Applying early matters for a second reason: the state says assistance runs while funding lasts.
How to apply
MAG offers several routes and says it encourages anyone who can to apply online or by mail.
Online. MAG's "Apply Online" button goes to the state application at jobs.utah.gov/heat, which also tells you whether you are eligible to apply online.
On paper. Download the application, in English or Spanish, from MAG's HEAT page and send it with copies of your documents:
- Mail: MAG HEAT Program, 478 South Geneva Rd, Vineyard, UT 84059
- Fax: 801-229-3670
- Email: heat@magutah.gov
With help. Call 801-229-3855 to schedule an appointment. MAG says appointments are limited and available 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Do not send originals; MAG asks for copies and says faxed or scanned documents must be legible to be accepted.
What to send
MAG's list of required documents:
- Recent power and gas bills, if you have both.
- Proof of all income received by every household member in the month before the month you apply: pay stubs, benefit letters, unemployment statements and similar.
- Proof of eligible medical expenses, child support and alimony paid in that same month.
- Proof of disability, if it applies.
- Additional documentation if MAG asks for it.
The income proof is where most applications stall. Gather a full month of pay stubs for everyone who works before you start, and if someone was paid in cash, ask MAG what it accepts.
After you apply
MAG says to allow four to six weeks for processing and to keep paying your utility bills after you submit, so the account stays current. HEAT is a payment toward your energy costs, not a pause on them.
If you have a shutoff notice: the Utility Crisis Program
MAG's Utility Crisis Program can provide additional help with utility bills for households with a shutoff notice that meet state and federal crisis guidelines. MAG defines a crisis as:
- receiving a 48-hour shutoff notice, or
- being within 10% of running out of a delivered fuel (propane, for example),
after a sudden or unexpected event beyond the household's control that leaves it unable to pay heating costs.
What to do, in order:
- Call MAG at 801-229-3855 and say you have a shutoff notice.
- Call your utility the same day to ask about a payment arrangement. The Office of Consumer Services recommends this step for anyone facing an imminent shutoff.
- Call 211 to find other agencies in the county with crisis funds.
The Office of Consumer Services also notes that qualified low-income customers of regulated utilities are protected against winter shutoff in certain circumstances. Ask your utility directly whether those protections apply to your account.
The discounts that come with HEAT eligibility
Utah's two big regulated utilities fund low-income programs through their rates. According to the Office of Consumer Services:
- Home Electric Lifeline Program (HELP): a monthly discount on the electric bill for HEAT-eligible Rocky Mountain Power customers.
- Energy Assistance Fund: a one-time credit per heating season for HEAT-qualified Enbridge Gas Utah customers. The amount varies each year.
Check who your electric company is before you count on HELP. Provo's electricity comes from Provo Power, the city-owned utility, not Rocky Mountain Power, so HELP does not apply to Provo power bills. Spanish Fork and Salem are also members of the Utah Municipal Power Agency. Natural gas across the county is Enbridge Gas Utah, so the Energy Assistance Fund is relevant almost everywhere. Our Provo utilities guide explains who provides what in Provo, including the city's own pointer to HEAT. The city also points residents to Community Action Services for emergency help, but Community Action says it closed its doors temporarily on November 1, 2026; our food help guide has the alternatives.
Weatherization: fixing the house instead of the bill
MAG's Weatherization Assistance Program works on the cause of a high bill rather than the bill. It serves homeowners, renters and mobile home owners and, by MAG's account, participating households save an average of $283 or more a year.
Who qualifies:
- Household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, a higher line than HEAT's.
- No age limit, but priority for people with disabilities, seniors, households with children under 6 and those with the highest energy costs.
- Renters qualify too, but the application must include a notarized Weatherization Rental Agreement signed with the landlord.
- The home must never have been weatherized, or have been weatherized more than 15 years ago.
How it works, in MAG's five steps: apply; an energy audit identifies the most cost-effective improvements; a trained crew installs them; a final inspection checks the work; and you live with lower bills.
What crews can do includes cleaning, tuning, repairing or replacing heating and cooling systems; insulating ducts, pipes, attics and walls; air sealing; repairing or replacing windows, doors and water heaters; installing programmable thermostats; replacing inefficient refrigerators; testing furnaces and other combustion appliances for safety; and installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms where needed.
Call 801-229-3850 or apply through MAG's weatherization page.
If your utilities are included in the rent
HEAT's first requirement is that you are the person responsible for the utilities. If your landlord pays the gas and power and folds them into your rent, the HEAT payment has no account of yours to go to, and you should ask MAG whether your situation qualifies before you assemble an application. Weatherization is different: a renter can qualify with the landlord's notarized agreement, and a better-sealed apartment helps whoever pays the bill.
If you are moving, this is worth asking before you sign a lease. A unit where you hold the gas account is one where HEAT, the Enbridge credit and, outside Provo, HELP can all reach you.
Why applications stall, and how to avoid it
MAG's own instructions point to the usual problems:
- Originals sent by mail. MAG says not to send original documents. Keep your originals; send copies.
- Unreadable copies. Faxed or scanned documents must be legible to be accepted. A phone photo taken in poor light often is not.
- The wrong month of income. The test is income received in the month before the month you apply. Pay stubs from three months ago, or from the current month, do not answer that question.
- Missing household members. Income proof is for everyone in the household, not just the person on the account.
- Stopping payments while waiting. MAG tells applicants to keep paying their bills during the four to six weeks of processing. Falling behind while you wait can turn a routine application into a crisis.
If you are not sure whether something counts, call 801-229-3855 before sending. A five-minute call is faster than a rejected application.
Watch for utility scams
Shutoff threats are the classic utility scam: a caller or text demands immediate payment by gift card, payment app or cryptocurrency to stop a disconnection "today." Our Provo utilities guide notes that the gas company's change of name, from Dominion Energy to Enbridge Gas Utah in 2024, is exactly the kind of moment when impersonation spikes. If a message threatens a shutoff, hang up and call the number on your actual bill. Enbridge Gas Utah's customer service number is 1-800-323-5517.
A winter checklist for a high-bill household
- Apply for HEAT in the fall, before the first big bill, rather than after a shutoff notice.
- Ask the gas and power companies about payment plans the moment a bill looks unmanageable.
- Apply for weatherization if you own, or if your landlord will sign the rental agreement. It is the help that keeps paying off.
- Keep copies of every bill and pay stub from the month before you apply.
- Never heat a home with a gas range, grill or generator. Carbon monoxide is the winter danger that has nothing to do with money.
- Call 211 for food, rent and other help that frees up money for the energy bill.
In Spanish
MAG publishes the HEAT application in Spanish. Our Spanish-language winter guide, El invierno en el condado de Utah, walks through HEAT, the crisis program and the weatherization line in Spanish, along with the traction law and inversion days.
Related Guides
- Social Security and Medicare in Utah County for 2027
- Utah Medicaid's 2027 work requirement
- Utilities in Provo: Provo Power, Enbridge Gas and how to set up service
- Utah County inversion and air quality
- Utah winter driving: the traction law and chains
- Provo snowfall by month
- El invierno en el condado de Utah (en español)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who runs the HEAT program in Utah County?
Who qualifies for HEAT?
When can I apply for HEAT?
How long does a HEAT application take?
What documents do I need for HEAT?
What if my power or gas is about to be shut off?
Is there a discount on my gas or electric bill if I qualify for HEAT?
Can a renter get weatherization help?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- HEAT Assistance Program, Mountainland Association of Governments. Checked November 13, 2026.
- Weatherization Assistance Program, Mountainland Association of Governments. Checked November 13, 2026.
- Energy Assistance Programs (HEAT, HELP, Energy Assistance Fund, winter shutoff), Utah Office of Consumer Services. Checked November 13, 2026.
- Utility Assistance, Utah My Doorway / Department of Workforce Services. Checked November 13, 2026.
- HEAT online application, Utah Department of Workforce Services. Checked November 13, 2026.
