When Franco Harris agreed to become a spokesman for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the former Steelers running back thought it would be just another one-shot deal of the type that celebrities do so often.

He didn't count on gaining a new kind of fame.

"I started having people come up to me and say, 'Franco, thank you very much' " for the assistance they received through the federally funded program, he said. And while Mr. Harris could not take credit for that assistance, he realized that his name and face had helped people make the decision to apply.

That was 19 years ago, and, "it just kept going from there."

Yesterday, when he spoke to a crowd of social service workers to encourage them to get the word out about Liheap, they wore T-shirts identifying them as "Franco's Liheap Army."

The annual event marked the opening date for consumers to apply for the program, which offers grants to consumers with qualifying incomes to help them heat their homes.

Tyrone J. Christy, vice chair of the state Public Utility Commission, told the 180 attendees that this year's lower natural gas prices are "a godsend for all of us right now," that could reduce the average consumer's heating bill by a total of $600 to $800 during the season.

During a brainstorming session, attendees offered suggestions for improving Liheap. They included better placement of television ads during prime time, including program information with children's report cards, and setting up meetings between customers and legislators to discuss the program.

Liheap, administered by the state Department of Public Welfare, offers two types of assistance: the cash component and the crisis component.

The cash benefit is the more common of the two. The amount is based on a number of factors, including household size and income, the applicant's location and fuel type.

For the first time, the plan establishes a maximum cash benefit of $1,000 with a $100 minimum. Last year, the minimum was $300, with no maximum.

The crisis benefit is for households that are either "without heat or in imminent danger of being without heat." For the crisis benefit, the plan proposes a minimum of $25 and a maximum of $400. Last year, the maximum was $800.

Under the DPW plan for fiscal year 2010, the cash benefit will be available from now through March 15, and the crisis benefit will be available from Jan. 4 through March 15.

This is the first time that the agency has established different time frames for offering the benefits. In the past, both were available from early November through the end of March.

For more information about Liheap, Dominion Peoples customers may call 1-800-400-9276; Equitable Gas customers, 1-800-644-8090; and Columbia Gas customers, 1-800-272-2714.

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