Colorado's Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is taking applications from families who need help paying their heating bills.

Federal funding helps pay for this yearly program.

A family's income income cannot exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty index, which equates to $2,882 per month for a family of four.

The average LEAP benefit is estimated to be $302 per household, According to Aggie Berens, manager of LEAP.

Last year, more than 125,000 Coloradans applied for LEAP, and 100,794 households received an average benefit of $344.

LEAP started taking application on Nov. 1 and will continue to do so until April 30, 2013.

If you are interested in applying, there are several ways you can get an application.

• Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) to have an application mailed.
• Visit any county department of social/human services across the state. To locate your county's office, visit the program's Web site at www.colorado.gov/cdhs/leap .
• Download and print an application from www.colorado.gov/cdhs/leap.

LEAP eligible households may also qualify for the Crisis Invention Program [CIP] and Colorado's Energy Office's Weatherization Program.

The CIP operates year-round and provides assistance with a home's primary heating source such as a furnace or wood-burning stove.

The Weatherization Program improves the energy efficiency in homes throughout Colorado, thereby permanently reducing heating costs.