DEHCR > Furnace Assistance

Furnace Assistance

The Home Energy Plus (HE+) Furnace Program is a year-round program that provides assistance to eligible low-income Wisconsin households when their primary heating system no longer provides heat, is inoperable or becomes unsafe. Local Weatherization agencies are responsible for managing program delivery and invoicing for payment of completed work. The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) Agency verifies applicant eligibility and reserves funds when completing the referral to the Weatherization Agency. WHEAP and Weatherization agencies work cooperatively to ensure program goals and requirements are met while providing timely delivery of service. All other applicable WHEAP and Weatherization program requirements apply.

HE+ Furnace Program services provided to an eligible household will never result in a property lien or charge to the customer unless fraud is identified.

The HE+ Furnace Program includes three basic types of referrals (see chart below). The factors that determine the type of referral are the time of year and the way in which the referral for service is initiated.

He+ Furnace Program Referrals
Referral Type	Service Availability	Service Description
Emergency Referral	October 1 - May 15 (heating season)	WHEAP Agency makes referral to Weatherization Agency. Emergency response timeline applies.
Non-Emergency Referral	May 16 - September 30	WHEAP Agency makes referral to Weatherization Agency. Emergency Response timeline applies only for unsafe heating system.
Weatherization Referral (WX-REF)	October 1 - September 30 (Year-round: WHEAP Program Year)	Weatherization Agency refers applicant to WHEAP Agency to verify applicant current program year eligibility and to reserve HE+ Furnace Program funds. The determination to repair or replace is made by the Weatherization Agency
Weatherization Referral (WX-REF)	October 1 - September 30 (Year-round: WHEAP Program Year)	Previously weatherized building with an operating heating system. Natural gas is available or will be available to the home due to utility gas expansion. The determination to repair or replace is made by the Weatherization Agency. Response timelines do not apply. Contribution required.

Note: The difference between HE+ Furnace Program Emergency and Non-Emergency Referrals is the time of year in which the referrals are made and the required response timelines. In both cases the customer’s primary heating system must be inoperable or unsafe at the time of referral (excluding fuel switch referrals).