Low income Kansans will have a little extra help paying their high utility bills this summer thanks to the Low Income Energy Assistance Program.

ź??The summer heat can take an incredible, sometimes even fatal, toll on our most vulnerable populations ź?? the elderly, disabled and struggling families,ź?ť said Governor Mark Parkinson. ź??This extra assistance will not only help these folks pay their bills, but it will keep more Kansans safe, and out of extreme temperatures.ź?ť

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program provides an annual benefit to help qualifying households pay winter heating bills. Individuals with disabilities, elderly persons, and families with children are the primary groups assisted. In the winter of 2009, nearly 46,000 households received an average benefit of $717.

This year, funding is available to provide an additional benefit to those households for energy costs incurred during the heat of summer. This is not a new application period; individuals that applied and received a benefit during the regular application period will automatically be issued a supplemental benefit of approximately $126, bringing the average benefit for the year to over $800.

Funding for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Service through the Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.