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If your gas or heating bill may be harder to cover, start by checking the bill and the cash you can put toward it, then contact your utility before the due date to ask what options it offers. If you still face a shortfall, use the official LIHEAP route to find your state or territory’s assistance program. For longer-term help reducing energy use, check whether you qualify for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP).
How to make a plan for the next heating bill
This is a practical planning sequence, not an official formula. Your actual bill depends on your usage, rates, billing period, and utility terms; a national forecast cannot predict what your household will owe.
- Read the bill. Note the amount due, due date, billing period, outstanding balance, and usage. If prior bills are available, compare usage across similar periods to see whether the change is mainly consumption, charges, or both.
- Estimate the shortfall. Work out how much cash you expect to have before the due date and how much of the bill you can realistically pay without missing essential expenses. Avoid assuming an assistance application will be processed before the due date.
- Contact the utility promptly. Ask whether it currently offers payment arrangements, budget billing, hardship funds, or referrals to local programs. Availability and terms vary; do not assume an arrangement will be offered or will reduce the total charges.
- Apply for assistance if needed. If you still cannot cover the bill, use USAGov’s help-with-energy-bills page to find the LIHEAP agency for your state or territory. Ask that agency about eligibility, application documents, processing time, and whether crisis assistance is available.
What higher heating costs could mean—and what they cannot tell you
The National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA) projected an average natural-gas-heated household heating expenditure of $704 for winter 2025–26, compared with $650 for winter 2024–25, an 8.4% increase. NEADA published the outlook on December 16, 2025; it is a national seasonal projection, not an actual bill, a current price quote, or an estimate of what a particular household will pay. Your own bill depends on your home, location, fuel use, and utility charges. Read the outlook hosted in DOE search results.
What to do if you cannot pay the heating bill
Ask the utility about its own options
Call or use the contact channel shown on your bill and explain when you expect to be able to pay. Ask what payment plans or other support are available, what the terms are, and whether the utility can refer you to local assistance. ENERGY STAR lists some income-eligible utility programs by state; if your utility is not listed, contact it directly. Check ENERGY STAR’s state and utility program listing.
#1 Best Overall
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
Check LIHEAP through your state or territory
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) may help eligible households pay heating bills or access emergency services. Eligibility rules and application routes are set locally, so a national page cannot determine whether you qualify. Start with USAGov’s energy-bill assistance guide to find the appropriate agency and confirm what it requires.
Do not assume shutoff rules are the same everywhere
Utility disconnection protections vary by state and may depend on circumstances such as weather, age, disability, and provider. Check your state’s applicable policy and contact the utility or state regulator for current details. If you have received a shutoff notice, tell the utility and the state or local assistance agency that the situation is urgent; do not rely on a general description of another state’s rules.
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- ⚡ EASY INSTALLATION: Installs in circuit panel of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports single-phase up to 240VAC line-neutral; single, split-phase 120/240VAC; and three-phase up to 415Y/240VAC (no Delta). The branch lines can automatically match different phases and have no restrictions in terms of quantity and voltage.Panels with access only to busbars will need flexible sensors available from SEM-Meter.
- ⚡ ENERGY MONITORING ANYTIME, ANYWHERE: Monitor your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. Light commercial 3 phase option available as a separate bundle. Protected by a 1-year warranty.
- ⚡ VARIOUS ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE MONITORING: Comes with 16 50A sensors to accurately monitor your air conditioner, furnace, water heater, washer, dryer, range, etc.
- ⚡ LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: SEM-Meter measures real-time spending and gets actionable notifications to understand where savings can be made, both to lower your electric bill and to conserve energy and protect the planet’s resources. Be an environmentalist.
- ⚡ REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: Connect SEM-Meter device via 2.4GHz WiFi to monitor energy usage, with an accuracy range of 1%. View usage in real time through Android/Apple software. Statistics of power usage in now/day/week/month/year format: the validity period of hourly exported data is 90 days, and the exported data of day/month/year data is permanent, available at any time Export from application.
LIHEAP and WAP address different needs
| Resource | What it may address | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| LIHEAP | Eligible households’ heating bills or energy emergencies; program rules and services vary by state or territory. | Use USAGov to find the state or territory agency and ask about eligibility and application steps. |
| Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) | Longer-term home-efficiency services for households that meet local criteria; it is not a payment arrangement for an immediate bill. | Contact your state WAP administrator or local provider through DOE’s application guidance. |
These are separate paths: LIHEAP may help with the bill or an energy crisis, while WAP may improve a home’s efficiency. Check both if relevant, but do not treat approval for one as approval for the other.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to explore weatherization for longer-term savings
WAP is administered through state and local providers, and eligibility and application steps vary. The U.S. Department of Energy directs households to their state administrator and local weatherization provider. Renters may need their landlord’s permission for work, so ask the provider what authorization is required before applying or scheduling improvements.
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- EM16P MODEL & LOCAL CONTROL & DATA PRIVACY: Access your home energy monitor data locally via Built-in Web UI, Open API, and MQTT without relying on cloud services. Unlike cloud-dependent monitors, Refoss ensures your data stays within your home network. Direct local access protects your privacy while giving you 100% full control of your home energy system.
- NATIVE HOME ASSISTANT & OPENCLAW AI: Experience seamless Native Home Assistant integration right out of the box—no firmware flashing or complex coding required. Featuring ✨NEW✨ OpenClaw Support, it enables AI-driven automation for smarter, real-time energy management and seamless smart home control.
- MAXIMIZE SOLAR & ZERO FEED-IN AUTOMATION: Designed for solar homes, the power monitor works with the Refoss app and Home Assistant to automatically use surplus solar power. Appliances like EV chargers, washing machines, and water heaters are powered during midday peaks, maximizing solar self-consumption and reducing low-value electricity feed-in to the grid. Optimizes usage and reduces bills.
- REAL-TIME MONITORING & ±1% ACCURACY: Monitor voltage, current, active power, and power factor of major appliances. Provides ±1% accuracy (200A: 2–200A; 60A: 1–60A) and ±2% at low current. Daily data stored up to 5 years and exportable. With no subscriptions or hidden fees, you get deep historical insights to help you identify every energy-saving opportunity and save 10–20% on monthly bills.
- SMART ALERTS & CIRCUIT-LEVEL CONTROL: Set usage targets for each individual circuit and receive instant alerts when appliances exceed normal consumption. Refoss app supports automation and peak management to optimize schedules, reduce peaks, and improve efficiency. Real-time electricity usage monitor for circuit-level insights.
What a WAP assessment may involve
DOE says a weatherization audit may review energy bills, test for air infiltration, and inspect equipment and areas of the home to identify efficiency, health, and safety improvements. Ask the local provider whether an audit or service is available in your area and whether your household meets its criteria. Do not pay for an audit or buy equipment on the assumption that it is required before checking for no-cost or income-qualified services. DOE’s WAP application guidance explains the local process.
DOE reports average annual savings of $372 or more for WAP-weatherized households, based on a national evaluation. This is a program-wide reported average, not a promised saving for a particular home or household. See DOE’s WAP program information.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
Rank #4
- SAFE & RELIABLE: Meross smart energy consumption monitor is ETL‑certified and compliant with the UL 61010 testing standard, ensuring safe and reliable home energy monitoring. Works with most US homes: single-phase 2-wire systems, single-split phase 3-wire systems, and 3-phase 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no Delta). Easy clamp‑on design installs in minutes. Invert CT readings in the app—no physical flipping. PROTECTED BY 2-YEAR WARRANTY for worry-free use.
- TRACK ENERGY & CUT BILLS: Track power, voltage, current, and power factor within ±1% accuracy. Clear power usage and cost charts by minute/hour/day/month/year help you easily understand your energy use. Store up to 5 years of data and export hourly reports for deep analysis. Most users save 10–20% on energy costs by spotting energy hogs and getting accurate insights to cut their bills.
- 24/7 ENERGY MONITORING + SMART ALERTS: Real-time home energy monitoring from anywhere. Set custom alerts for unusual usage spikes and threshold breaches for total peace of mind. Catch issues early with no subscriptions, no cloud lock‑in, and no hidden fees — all built-in. Supports 2 main circuits (200A) + 16 branch circuits (60A), making it perfect for precise, circuit-level energy monitoring.
- MAXIMIZE YOUR SOLAR SAVINGS (HOME ASSISTANT): This solar energy monitor integrates with Home Assistant to detect solar surplus and automatically power EV chargers, water heaters, and other high‑use appliances. Stop wasting solar energy—use it yourself and cut your electricity bill faster. The perfect home energy monitor for solar homes.
- LOCAL DATA, FULL PRIVACY, NO SUBSCRIPTIONS: Connect seamlessly with Home Assistant for advanced energy automation. All energy data stays local—no cloud, no delays, no privacy concerns. Take full control of your home energy, reduce waste, and protect your privacy. Supports Open API and Web Control.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
