Florida summers are no joke — and for older adults, a broken air conditioner or an overdue power bill isn't just an inconvenience, it can be a genuine health emergency. Fortunately, Flagler County seniors have a resource designed for exactly this kind of crisis: the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP).

What Is EHEAP?

EHEAP, sometimes called the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program, is a federally funded benefit that helps older adults cover urgent home energy costs. In Flagler County, the program is administered locally by the Flagler County Senior Services Division, in partnership with ElderSource, the area agency on aging for Northeast Florida.

Eligible households can receive up to $2,000 to help with things like:

• Overdue or delinquent utility bills
• Shut-off notices from the power company
• Critical HVAC (heating and cooling) repairs

Importantly, the funds are typically paid directly to the utility company or service vendor, and assistance can be used up to twice per year if a household faces multiple energy emergencies.

What EHEAP does not cover is worth noting too, the program is meant for heating and cooling-related expenses, not water bills, and not propane or gas used specifically for cooking or heating water.

Why This Matters So Much in Flagler County

The numbers make the urgency clear. More than 31% of Flagler County residents are age 65 or older , one of the highest concentrations of seniors in the state. And seniors are disproportionately affected by extreme heat: adults 65 and up accounted for 27% of Florida's heat-related deaths between 2010 and 2020, even as the state led the nation in heat-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations from 2018 to 2022.

Older adults are especially vulnerable to heat because of factors like a reduced ability to regulate body temperature, chronic health conditions, and medications that can make heat sensitivity worse. Even a short air conditioning outage during a Florida heat wave can escalate quickly into heat exhaustion or a full medical emergency.

That's exactly the gap EHEAP is meant to fill ,  helping keep the power on and the AC running before a small problem becomes a dangerous one.

Who Qualifies?

To be eligible for EHEAP in Flagler County, a household generally must:

• Include at least one resident age 60 or older
• Meet income eligibility guidelines (based on gross household income and family size)
• Be experiencing a genuine home energy crisis ,  such as a shut-off notice, delinquent bill, or broken HVAC system
• Include a senior applicant who is a U.S. citizen or a permanent legal resident eligible for federal benefits

The energy bill doesn't necessarily need to be in the senior's name, but proof of residence (like a driver's license or other ID) is typically required as part of the application.

How to Apply

Flagler County officials strongly encourage seniors,  and their caregivers or family members,  to reach out before a cooling emergency happens, rather than waiting until the power is already shut off.

To get started or learn more:

• Call Flagler County Senior Services at 386-586-2324, ext. 3621
• Visit Flagler County's official website for program details and application information
• You can also contact the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) for guidance on EHEAP and other senior assistance programs

A Simple Reminder for Families

If you have an aging parent, grandparent, or neighbor in Flagler County, it's worth checking in on how they're handling their utility bills this summer , especially if money has been tight or a bill has gone unpaid. A quick phone call to Senior Services could prevent a dangerous situation before it starts.

As Flagler County Senior Services Program Manager Brian Lee put it, extreme heat can turn a home unsafe very quickly , but help is available, and no senior should have to face it alone.

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Program details, income limits, and funding availability can change, so it's always best to confirm current eligibility requirements directly with Flagler County Senior Services or ElderSource before applying.

About Realty Executives Oceanside

This article is brought to you by Realty Executives Oceanside,  proudly serving Flagler County and the surrounding Northeast Florida area. Our agents live and work in the communities we serve, from Palm Coast's canal neighborhoods to Flagler Beach's oceanfront properties  and we believe that being a good neighbor means more than just helping people buy and sell homes.

That's why we like to share resources like EHEAP with our community: programs that help our longtime residents, especially seniors, stay safe and stay in the homes they love. Whether you're a senior homeowner looking for guidance, a family member searching for local resources, or someone thinking about buying or selling a home in Flagler County, our team is here to help.

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