Xcel Energy Bill Help in Denver 2026–27: LEAP Opens November 1, PIPP Caps Your Bill at 6% of Income, and Help With Past-Due Bills
Denver winters are hard on gas bills. If you're an Xcel Energy customer and money is tight, Colorado has a set of programs that work together. LEAP helps pay part of your winter heating costs. Approval for LEAP can then open the door to Xcel's Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), which limits your electric or gas bill to 6% of your yearly income for two years. Energy Outreach Colorado helps with past-due bills all year.
The key date this season is November 1, 2026, when LEAP starts taking applications. This guide explains each program, the 2026–27 income limits, and the order to apply in.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: the Colorado Department of Human Services LEAP page; the Colorado Public Utilities Commission's PIPP and Affordability pages; and Energy Outreach Colorado's PIPP page. Xcel Energy's own affordability page was unavailable when we checked, so Xcel-specific discount amounts aren't included.
The Short Version
LEAP (heating help): apply November 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. Income up to 60% of state median income, which is $3,774 a month for one person or $7,258 for a family of four. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435).
PIPP (bill cap): limits your Xcel electric or gas bill to 6% of yearly income with a fixed monthly credit for 24 months, plus help with past-due amounts. You get there through LEAP, Energy Outreach Colorado or weatherization.
Past due or facing shutoff? Energy Outreach Colorado's bill payment assistance runs year-round. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP to find an agency.
Check your Xcel PIPP enrollment: 866-975-7327.
Keep paying what you can. LEAP says not to stop paying your heating bill while you wait for a decision.
Step 1: Apply for LEAP
The Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is federally funded and run by the state. It pays part of your winter heating costs, usually directly to your heating company, and sends you a letter with the amount. It can also help repair or replace a broken furnace or other primary heating system. It doesn't pay for space heaters or other portable heat.
Who qualifies
According to the state, you may qualify if you:
pay heating costs, either directly to a utility like Xcel or to a landlord as part of your rent;
have household income at or below 60% of state median income; and
can show lawful presence in the U.S. for household members born outside the country, with documents such as a naturalization certificate, U.S. passport, permanent resident card, or refugee or asylee papers.
If heat is included in your rent and you don't live in subsidized housing, you may still qualify. Include proof with your application.
2026–27 LEAP income limits
These are gross monthly income limits for the season that runs from November 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027:
| Household size | Max gross monthly income | |---|---| | 1 | $3,774 | | 2 | $4,936 | | 3 | $6,097 | | 4 | $7,258 | | 5 | $8,420 | | 6 | $9,581 | | 7 | $9,799 | | 8 | $10,017 |
The state's table continues up to 15 people.
How to apply
Starting November 1:
Online through the Colorado PEAK website.
By phone. The state says an interview isn't required.
On paper. Download it starting November 1, pick it up at your county human services office, or call 1-866-HEAT-HELP to have one mailed. Send it by mail or email to your county LEAP office, or drop it off.
What to include
The state's checklist says most delays come from incomplete applications. Include:
Social Security numbers and birth dates for everyone in the household
proof of all household income from the month before you sign the application, such as pay stubs and award letters
receipts for expenses if you're self-employed
your most recent heating bill, or your most recent rent receipt if heat is included in your rent
lawful presence documents for household members born outside the U.S.
your signature
How long it takes and how much you get
Most non-emergency applications are processed in 10 to 25 days. If your heat is about to be shut off, LEAP says it may be able to speed up your application to about 10 days. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP.
The benefit amount depends on your heating costs, your income, and how much funding and how many applications the program has. Households with the highest heating costs get the most. You can get LEAP once per season.
Signing up for LEAP doesn't affect other benefits such as SSI, Colorado Works/TANF, food assistance or Medicare.
One more benefit: the Colorado PUC says that LEAP enrollment also prevents disconnection of service, and that LEAP approval is the fastest way into other bill-help programs.
Step 2: Get Into PIPP
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) is the program that can make a lasting difference to your monthly bill. It's regulated by the Colorado PUC and run by the utilities, including Xcel Energy.
What PIPP does
Caps your bill: your electric or gas bill is limited to no more than 6% of your yearly income.
Fixed credit for 24 months: you get the same credit on each bill for two years.
Help with old balances: if you're behind, PIPP includes help or forgiveness with what you owe.
The PUC is clear that you're still responsible for any part of the bill PIPP doesn't cover. You have to keep paying your bill to keep service and stay in the program.
Who qualifies
You need all three:
Income at or below one of the thresholds the PUC lists, such as 60% of state median income (the LEAP limit) or 80% of area median income;
qualification through a referring program: LEAP, Energy Outreach Colorado bill assistance, or the Weatherization Assistance Program; and
service from a participating utility, including Xcel Energy.
Energy Outreach Colorado says your utility then checks whether you're currently paying more than 6% of your income on energy bills.
Four ways in
The PUC lays out four routes. In every case, Xcel makes the final decision:
Path 1, LEAP: apply for LEAP. If you're approved, LEAP refers you to Xcel.
Path 2, LEAP denied: apply through Energy Outreach Colorado instead.
Path 3, past-due bills: apply for EOC bill assistance. EOC helps pay the bill and refers you to Xcel.
Path 4, home upgrades: apply for weatherization, which refers you to Xcel.
If you're not past due and don't fit the other programs, Energy Outreach Colorado says you can apply directly for a PIPP referral by creating an account on its website. For that route, income must be below 80% of area median income.
After you apply
Xcel should send a letter within 30 days saying whether you were accepted. To check, call Xcel at 866-975-7327. Energy Outreach Colorado says to ask whether you're enrolled in "EAP or GAP."
Behind on Your Xcel Bill Right Now?
Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) gives emergency help with past-due energy bills all year, not just in winter. The PUC says that to qualify, you must be past due or low on fuel, and you must pay your utility bill directly, not as part of your rent. EOC help can also lead to a PIPP referral (Path 3 above).
To find an agency near you, call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) or use the agency finder on the PUC's affordability page.
While you wait, LEAP's advice is to call Xcel and ask for a payment agreement or budget billing.
Other Help Worth Knowing About
Furnace broken? LEAP's Crisis Intervention Program runs year-round and helps repair or replace a home's main heating system. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP.
Weatherization: free energy upgrades for income-qualified homes through the Colorado Energy Office. It's also a route into PIPP.
Seniors and people with disabilities: the state's Property Tax/Rent/Heat Credit (PTC) rebate from the Colorado Department of Revenue. The LEAP page lists a maximum heat rebate of $192 and a maximum property tax rebate of $660.
Not sure what you qualify for? The PUC's free Colorado Energy Savings Navigator asks 11 questions and screens you for more than 100 programs and rebates.
Complaint about a shutoff? The PUC's Consumer Assistance line is 303-894-2070 (800-456-0858 outside Denver).
What we couldn't confirm: Xcel's own program page and its discount percentages weren't available when we checked, and EOC's bill-assistance income limits and benefit amounts weren't on the pages we fetched. Colorado's winter disconnection rules aren't detailed here.
A Quick Checklist
Gather documents now: income proof, Social Security numbers, your latest Xcel bill and any lawful presence papers.
Apply for LEAP on or after November 1, 2026 through PEAK or 1-866-HEAT-HELP.
Past due? Don't wait for LEAP season. Call 1-866-HEAT-HELP about Energy Outreach Colorado.
Watch for Xcel's PIPP letter within 30 days, or call 866-975-7327.
Keep paying what you can, and ask Xcel about a payment agreement or budget billing.
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