Colorado LEAP 2026-27: Income Limits, Benefits, Apply

Comparing Colorado with other states? Our LIHEAP income limits guide lists every state's line; the rest of this guide sticks to Colorado.

LEAP pays your utility or fuel dealer. A text or social post promising a cash "Colorado energy grant" isn't LEAP.

Colorado LEAP 2026-27 at a Glance: 5 Kinds of Help

Coloradans can tap at least 5 kinds of energy help this winter, and LEAP approval is the key that opens most of them. The PUC's affordability page says applying for and getting LEAP is the fastest way into the state's other bill programs.

Sources: CDHS LEAP page; PUC affordability page (opens in a new tab); Energy Outreach Colorado's heating repair page. All checked November 3, 2026.

The ground rules from CDHS: LEAP helps with part of your winter heating cost, not the whole bill. You can get heating help once each season. Getting LEAP won't reduce SNAP, SSI, Colorado Works, Old Age Pension or Medicare benefits, and you can apply while you're on any of them.

Colorado LEAP Income Limits for 2026-27 (60% of State Median Income)

Colorado sets LEAP eligibility at 60% of state median income (SMI), not a percentage of the poverty line. CDHS's posted chart counts gross monthly income, and its brochure insert says your income must fall under the line "during the month you apply."

Sources: monthly limits from the CDHS LEAP income chart linked on its LEAP page (chart continues to 15 people; 15 is $11,541); annual figures from ACF's FY2027 SMI table, posted for mandatory use starting October 1, 2026. The added-person figure follows ACF's method of 3% of the four-person line. Effective for the 2026-27 season (federal FY2027, October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027).

When the figures change next. ACF publishes new state median income figures for each federal fiscal year, and they become mandatory on October 1. Expect CDHS to post a new chart before LEAP opens on November 1, 2027.

Who counts in your household. CDHS defines the household as the people you live with and support financially. If you're unsure whether to list a roommate, ask your county LEAP office before you send the form.

Lawful presence. CDHS asks for proof of lawful presence for household members born outside the United States, such as a naturalization certificate, U.S. passport, permanent resident card or refugee or asylee papers. For food help with similar paperwork, see our Colorado SNAP guide, and for health coverage, our Colorado Medicaid income limits guide.

How Much Colorado LEAP Pays: The $200 to $1,000 Range

CDHS says LEAP usually pays between $200 and $1,000 a season, and it doesn't pay everyone the same amount. Four things drive the number, according to CDHS: your heating costs, your household income, how much LEAP money is available, and how many applications come in.

According to the LIHEAP Clearinghouse profile, Colorado paid heating benefits to 85,488 households in FY2024. CDHS hasn't posted a benefit matrix with point values, so there's no public way to work out your exact award ahead of time. The honest answer is the range: the colder your area, the bigger your bill and the lower your income, the closer you'll land to the top. Because the amount also depends on how many people apply, an early application is worth more than a late one in a tight year.

Worked example. For example, a family of three in Aurora earning $4,200 a month with an Xcel gas heat bill would qualify: the three-person line is $6,097 a month, so they're about $1,900 under it. CDHS doesn't publish a formula, so plan on something in the $200 to $1,000 range on the Xcel account. If they also enroll in PIPP through the LEAP referral, the PUC's standard cap of 6% of yearly income works out to $3,024 a year ($50,400 times 6%), or $252 a month, for gas and electric combined. The PUC lists a lower 2.5% figure for Xcel customers, so ask Xcel how it applies to your account.

Specifically, a single retiree in Pueblo on $1,900 a month in Social Security is about $1,874 under the one-person line of $3,774. If her furnace quits in January, LEAP approval makes her eligible to call Energy Outreach Colorado's Crisis Intervention Program for a repair at no cost.

Season Dates and Deadlines for 2026-27

The LEAP season is 6 months long: November 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. CDHS's page says LEAP is accepting applications until April 30, 2027, when the season ends.

Where Colorado's federal money stands. Colorado's first FY2027 LIHEAP payment is $48,695,787, per the ACF state allotment table (opens in a new tab) dated October 9, 2026. That came out of a $3.63 billion national release, which ACF describes as 90% of what the stopgap Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (Public Law 119-103, signed September 2, 2026) makes available. ACF also holds back money from any grantee whose FY2027 plan isn't approved. Until Congress sets full-year LIHEAP funding, nobody can say what Colorado's final 2026-27 total will be.

How to Apply for Colorado LEAP: 4 Ways

CDHS gives 4 ways to apply between November 1 and April 30, and none requires an interview.

1. Online through Colorado PEAK. Use the Colorado PEAK link on the CDHS LEAP page and choose LEAP.
2. By phone. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435). The same number checks application status.
3. Paper by mail or email. Download the English or Spanish application from the CDHS LEAP page and send it, with all documents, to your county LEAP office. If you got an application in the mail, use the return envelope it came in.
4. In person. Pick up and drop off a paper application at your county human services office.

Where paper applications actually go. Grantsights analysis of CDHS's county LEAP office list found that 56 of the 64 counties listed route paper applications to the same processing address: LEAP, P.O. Box 39200, Colorado Springs, CO 80949, with the email leaphelp@goodwillcolorado.org. That includes Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas and El Paso. A handful run their own LEAP intake:

Source: CDHS county LEAP office list linked from the LEAP page, checked November 3, 2026.

If you're not sure where to send your form, call 1-866-HEAT-HELP before you mail it. A form sent to the wrong county is a delay you don't need.

Documents CDHS asks for:

• An answer to every question on the form, and your signature
• Names, Social Security numbers and birth dates for everyone in the household
• Proof of household income
• Your latest heating bill, or your latest rent receipt if heat is included in the rent
• Proof of lawful presence for household members born outside the country, when required
• Self-employment income and expenses, if any

How long it takes. CDHS says most non-emergency applications are processed within 30 days.

Shutoff Notices and Crisis Help: The 32-Degree Rule

Colorado's main winter shutoff protection is temperature-based, not a calendar moratorium. Under PUC Rules 3407 and 4407, electric and gas service can't be disconnected on any day when the National Weather Service local forecast issued between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. predicts 32°F or lower in the next 24 hours, according to the PUC's customer rights page (opens in a new tab). Electric service is also protected on days forecast at 95°F or higher.

If a shutoff notice arrives, call 1-866-HEAT-HELP that day. CDHS says LEAP may be able to process an emergency application in about 10 days when your heat might be shut off, and in about 18 days if you have no heat or you're running out of propane. Tell the caller which one applies.

Other PUC protections for regulated electric and gas customers:

Source: PUC customer rights page (Rules 3403, 3404, 3407, 3408 and their gas equivalents), checked November 3, 2026.

For customers of Xcel, Black Hills, Atmos and Colorado Natural Gas, per the PUC affordability page, there's more: no disconnection for a bill under $50, none on Friday through Sunday or federal holidays, and a 60-day hold on disconnections for LEAP applicants. Xcel customers also get a 30-day hold after Energy Outreach Colorado bill help, and the PUC lists 12 months of shutoff protection for income-qualified Xcel customers who aren't in PIPP and 24 months for those who are.

If you think a utility broke these rules, file an informal complaint with the PUC online or call Consumer Affairs at 303-894-2070.

Programs That Stack With LEAP: 4 Worth Asking About

At least 4 programs build on a LEAP approval in Colorado, and asking about them is free.

1. Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP). Per the PUC, PIPP limits home gas and electric bills to a maximum of 6% of a customer's yearly income for Xcel, Atmos, Black Hills and Colorado Natural Gas customers. LEAP, Energy Outreach Colorado bill help and weatherization can all refer you. If you don't qualify for those, Energy Outreach Colorado takes direct PIPP referrals.
2. Crisis Intervention Program (CIP). Energy Outreach Colorado runs free emergency repairs and replacements of non-working heating systems, including furnaces and woodburning stoves, for LEAP-approved households. Call 1-855-469-4328.
3. Weatherization Assistance Program. CDHS says the Colorado Energy Office runs it, and sealing and insulating a drafty Colorado house lowers every winter bill after it, not just this one. Colorado homeowners who also need roof, plumbing or electrical repairs can look at our home repair grants guide.
4. Property Tax/Rent/Heat Credit rebate. CDHS says some older adults and people with disabilities can get up to $192 back for heating expenses through the Colorado Department of Revenue.

Utility funds come next. According to the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, the list includes Black Hills Cares, Atmos Energy's Sharing the Warmth, Colorado Springs Utilities' Project COPE and the Fort Collins Utilities Payment Assistance Fund. Project COPE requires you to apply for LEAP first.

Colorado's FY2027 LIHEAP Money Per Resident

Colorado's first FY2027 LIHEAP release is $48,695,787, according to ACF's October 9, 2026 state table. Grantsights analysis of that ACF table and Census Bureau July 1, 2025 population estimates found Colorado received $8.10 per resident, below the $10.44 average across the 50 states and D.C.

Sources: ACF FY2027 first release state table; Census Bureau Vintage 2025 state population estimates (opens in a new tab). Rank excludes territories.

Colorado gets about half of Wyoming's rate per resident. This first release is also 88% of the $55,507,474 the LIHEAP Clearinghouse lists for Colorado's full FY2026 award, so the season's final pot depends on the rest of the year's appropriation. That's one more reason not to wait until spring. Neighbors in Utah can compare with our Utah HEAT guide, and in New Mexico with our New Mexico LIHEAP guide.

What CDHS's LEAP Page Doesn't Tell You

CDHS's page covers the basics well, but 6 things are easy to miss.

1. The income chart has no date on it. The posted chart doesn't say which season it covers. Grantsights checked it against ACF's FY2027 table, and the four-person figure of $7,258 a month matches $87,106 a year divided by 12, so it's the 2026-27 chart.
2. One bad month can sink you, and one good month can save you. LEAP checks income for the month you apply. If overtime pushed you over the line in November, the brochure's wording means a December application could come out differently.
3. Most paper forms go to one processing center. For 56 counties, the paper form goes to a Colorado Springs P.O. box, not your local office. Email it if you can; a lost envelope costs weeks.
4. There's no winter moratorium. Colorado protects you on cold days, not for a whole season. A mild week in February is a week the utility can disconnect.
5. The LEAP application unlocks a 60-day hold at the big four utilities. The PUC lists that hold for LEAP applicants at Xcel, Black Hills, Atmos and Colorado Natural Gas. Tell the utility you've applied.
6. Subsidized housing changes the answer. CDHS says renters with heat included may qualify only if they don't live in subsidized housing.

Common Mistakes and Scam Red Flags

These 5 mistakes cost Colorado households the most, based on CDHS's instructions and the PUC's shutoff rules:

• Skipping a question. CDHS says missing information slows things down. A blank line can send the form back.
• Stopping bill payments while you wait. CDHS tells applicants to keep paying. Ask your utility for a payment plan or budget billing if you're behind.
• Mailing to the wrong place. Check the county list or call 1-866-HEAT-HELP first.
• Waiting for April. The money is finite and LEAP is once per season. A common mistake is assuming a late-season application gets the same amount as a November one.
• Hiring a furnace contractor yourself. CIP arranges the work. Call Energy Outreach Colorado before you pay anyone.

Scam red flags in Colorado. Utility impostors go after people who are already behind, and the FTC's utility impostor warning (opens in a new tab) lists the giveaways: a demand to pay right now to keep the power on, and a request for gift cards, a wire, crypto or a payment app. Coloradans should also watch for:

• A caller saying your Xcel service will be cut "within the hour" on a sub-freezing morning, when PUC rules bar that disconnection
• Anyone charging a fee to file your LEAP application; LEAP is free through PEAK, the phone line and your county
• A website asking for your Social Security number that isn't PEAK or a colorado.gov address
• A promise of LEAP money paid to you in cash; CDHS normally pays your utility

If a call feels off, end it and dial the customer service number printed on your Xcel, Black Hills or Atmos statement. Colorado residents can report the attempt at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab) and to the Colorado Attorney General's consumer protection unit.

Denied by Colorado LEAP or Out of Funds: 4 Next Steps

CDHS publishes 2 LEAP reports from its LEAP page: weekly application counts by county, and the number of denials by reason and county. A denial is a data point, not the end of the road.

1. Ask why, in writing. Your notice should give the reason. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP to ask what's missing and whether you can send it in.
2. Reapply if your income dropped. Because LEAP looks at income in the month you apply, a lower month later in the season can change the result.
3. Go to Energy Outreach Colorado. CDHS itself points people who don't qualify for LEAP to Energy Outreach Colorado's heating help. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP or use its agency finder.
4. Widen the search. Colorado 211 can point you to county utility, rent and food help. A Colorado renter who's behind on both rent and Xcel can start with our rental assistance guide; one-time help sits in our emergency cash assistance guide. Coloradans over 60 have more options in our help for seniors guide, and a discounted phone line is covered in our Lifeline guide.

How Colorado's LEAP fits into the federal program, and when Washington usually sends the rest of the money, is covered in our national LIHEAP guide.

If heat is only one of the bills piling up, the Grantsights free eligibility checker can sort the rest. Pick "Individual" and then "Personal financial help," and it points to official routes for bills, rent, food and benefits screening. It doesn't hand out grants, and for a Colorado heating bill it will send you back to LEAP and Energy Outreach Colorado.

Sources

1. Colorado Department of Human Services: Colorado LEAP program page (opens in a new tab) - 2026-27 season, application options, documents, emergency timelines, county list, income chart link
2. ACF: LIHEAP State Median Income table, FY2027 (opens in a new tab) - Colorado 60% SMI by household size
3. ACF notice of the first FY2027 LIHEAP release that funds Colorado LEAP (opens in a new tab) - October 9, 2026, 90% under Public Law 119-103
4. ACF: FY2027 first release, state allotments (opens in a new tab) - Colorado $48,695,787
5. LIHEAP Clearinghouse (ACF-funded): Colorado state profile (opens in a new tab) - Colorado FY2026 benefit range, households served, utility and charity funds
6. Colorado PUC: Your rights as an electric or natural gas customer (opens in a new tab) - Colorado notice, temperature, medical and reconnection rules
7. Colorado PUC: Affordability and bill help options (opens in a new tab) - Colorado PIPP and utility-specific disconnection holds
8. Colorado Energy Office: Weatherization Assistance Program (opens in a new tab)
9. Colorado Department of Revenue: Property Tax/Rent/Heat Credit rebate (opens in a new tab)
10. Energy Outreach Colorado: Heating repair and replacement for Colorado LEAP households (opens in a new tab)
11. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 state population estimates (opens in a new tab)
12. FTC warning on utility impostors, relevant to Colorado utility customers (opens in a new tab)