2026-2027 Energy Assistance Program

Minnesota Valley Action Council (MVAC) offers grants to help income-eligible homeowners and renters pay heating and electric bills, repair non-working heating systems, and handle utility shut-off emergencies.

DEADLINE: MAY 31, 2027

Counties Served:
Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, Watonwan

Max Income Guidelines (Annual / 1-Month Max):
• 1 Person: $38,464 / $3,205
• 2 People: $50,299 / $4,191
• 3 People: $62,134 / $5,177
• 4 People: $73,969 / $6,164
• 5 People: $85,804 / $7,150
• 6 People: $97,639 / $8,136
• 7 People: $99,858 / $8,321
• 8 People: $102,077 / $8,506
• 9 People: $104,296 / $8,691

How to Apply:
• Online: www.mn.gov/home or www.mnvac.org
• Phone: Call 507-345-6822 to request a mailed application
• In Person: Visit any of MVAC's 9 office locations
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Scam Alert: Protect Your Utility Information

We recently heard from a member who received a phone call from someone asking for a copy of their electric utility bill. The caller claimed the information was needed to determine whether the member qualified for additional discounts.

Please be cautious when anyone unexpectedly asks for personal or account information. Your electric bill contains information that should be kept secure.

Protect yourself:

• Secure any paper or electronic copies of your utility bills.

• Never share personal or account information with an unsolicited caller or other untrusted source.

• Be especially cautious if you did not initiate the conversation.

• If someone claiming to represent an organization asks for your utility information, verify who they are before providing anything.

If you receive an unexpected request for a copy of your electric bill or other account information, contact Brown County REA directly at 800-658-2368 to verify whether the request is legitimate.

When in doubt, stop and verify. It’s better to be cautious than to give scammers information they can use.

Load Control Receiver Replacement Update

Brown County REA is currently replacing load control receivers throughout our service territory. The previous receiver system has reached the end of its service life and is no longer operational, which means existing receivers can no longer receive control signals.

Until your receiver is replaced, your load-controlled equipment will continue to operate normally and will not be automatically interrupted during control periods.

Although the old receiver system is no longer functioning, Great River Energy will continue to schedule load control periods during times of high electrical demand.

We encourage participating members to voluntarily reduce the use of controlled equipment during these periods whenever possible. Your cooperation helps manage peak demand and supports the reliable delivery of electricity to all members.

Thank you for your patience and support as we complete this system-wide upgrade.

Considering CTV? Here's What to Expect

Cooperative Television (CTV) provides access to a variety of television channels for just $8 per month. While many members enjoy the service, it's important to understand how CTV works and what factors can affect reception.

CTV is delivered using over-the-air UHF television signals. Unlike cable television, these signals travel through the atmosphere before reaching your antenna. As a result, reception can be affected by changing atmospheric conditions throughout the year.

During the summer months, warm temperatures and certain weather patterns can allow television signals from distant broadcasters to travel farther than normal. When this happens, a distant station operating on the same channel frequency may interfere with the signal used by CTV. This is known as co-channel interference.

When co-channel interference occurs, you may notice channels freezing, pixelating, displaying a weak signal message, or disappearing entirely. In many cases, the issue is temporary and resolves itself as atmospheric conditions change. These conditions are most prominent in the morning and evening. 

If a channel you normally receive goes out, do not perform a channel rescan. Rescanning for channels locks in any channel your antenna can find at that time. If you rescan during a co-channel interference, you may lock in channels that are not broadcasted by CTV and miss the channel you are trying to get back. 

If a channel remains unavailable for more than a day, check the CTV website or Facebook page for service announcements. Occasionally, maintenance or equipment work may affect channel availability, and updates will be posted when known outages occur.