(ABC 6 News) – It’s been a warm start to fall, but the cold weather will be on our doorstep before we know it.

Thankfully, if you’re struggling to pay your energy bills during the winter months, Minnesota’s cold weather rule prevents your utilities company from shutting off your heat, as long as you set up a partial payment plan.

If you’re still having trouble paying your energy bill, the Energy Assistance Program can help with that.

“The Energy Assistance Program helps people ensure that they have safe and reliable energy throughout the winter,” said Michael Schmitz, Director of the Energy Assistance Program with the Minnesota Commerce Department. “For example, a household with family of four could earn up to $68,800 per year and still qualify for the program.”

Whether you rent or own your home, you can still qualify. How much money you receive will depend on your income, size of your household and what it costs to heat your home over a 12-month period.

Initial benefits average around $500 per household, but can be up to $1,400.

“A surprisingly large percentage of people in the United States don’t have enough money for some unexpected expense, right? So, you can image if somebody lost their job that might be hard to pay for energy and in a place like Minnesota, you really need heat, right? It’s just not an option to not have heat in the winter,” said Schmitz.

One local organization that works with the Minnesota Commerce Department to offer this assistance is SEMCAC.

It serves seven different southeast Minnesota counties, including Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Winona and Steele counties, with limited services in Olmsted, Goodhue, Rice, Wabasha and Waseca counties.

Three Rivers Community Action also works with the Energy Assistance Program, serving the Rochester area.

Last year, the Energy Assistance Program served nearly 130,000 households in Minnesota, with over $95 million in direct benefits.

“It’s been pretty consistent over the years. It can go up a bit if it’s a colder year, and if we have more funding we can kinda tweak some of the eligibility rules and then we can get more people qualified,” said Schmitz.

Close to six thousand of the households served last year were helped through SEMCAC, and so far this year, it’s already received around 1,500 to 2,000 applications for the program. Paulson says it’s similar to the number of applications received this time last year.

“We do see a big rush this time of year and then starting, you know, January, February, we will see that number start to decline,” said Paulson.

This year, SEMCAC will increase its average benefits from $500 to $550.

“I’d say the need is there,” said Nicole Paulson, SEMCAC’s Energy Assistance Program Manager. “We do see each year a little bit of an increase. You know, you’ll have some that will drop off the program, but then you’ll have some new that come on, and you know, we’re constantly flooded with emails, phone calls for those people to get the help that they need.”

SEMCAC has another program is offers in conjunction with the Energy Assistance Program called the Emergency Repair and Replacement Program.

“If you are qualified for energy assistance and you own your home, then you’re qualified for help with a heating emergency, so if your furnace would go out, you can contact us and we can see if we have funding at that time to help with that emergency,” said Melissa Feine, SEMCAC’s Energy and Housing Services Director.

The Emergency Repair and Replacement Program will cover the full cost, including parts and labor for a furnace repair or replacement.

SEMCAC has ten households currently waiting on funding through the Emergency Repair and Replacement Program, which will be received October 1.

Apply for the Energy Assistance Program through the state Commerce Department here, with SEMCAC here or with Three Rivers Community Action here.

The deadline to apply is May 31.