New York energy and utility bill assistance: HEAP, EAP and weatherization (2026-27)

OTDA writes the rules; your county DSS or HRA takes the application

OTDA sets eligibility and benefit amounts statewide, but your local department of social services processes the application; in New York City that is the Human Resources Administration (HRA) ⁠²⁠⁴. You can apply online, by mail or in person ⁠¹⁠².

Many households never fill out a form. More than 1.1 million low- and middle-income households and older adults get a Regular HEAP payment automatically because they are enrolled in SNAP or Public Assistance ⁠².

How you apply depends on the benefit and where you live:

• Outside New York City: Apply for Regular HEAP online at myBenefits.ny.gov, or mail or bring the paper application to your county HEAP office ⁠¹⁠³. Emergency, HERR and Clean and Tune requests go to your HEAP Local District Contact, and OTDA does not take them on its website ⁠³.
• New York City: Regular and Cooling applications are filed on ACCESS HRA. Emergency requests go to a local HEAP office, and HERR and Clean and Tune requests go through the DSS OneNumber at 718-557-1399 ⁠⁵. Paper applications can be faxed to 917-639-2900 or mailed to P.O. Box 1401, Church Street Station, New York, NY 10008 ⁠⁴.

Why New York’s limit is $6,852 a month, not $4,125

Federal law lets a state set its LIHEAP income ceiling at the greater of 150% of the poverty guidelines or 60% of state median income ⁠¹⁰. A 150%-of-poverty limit would be $49,500 a year for four, or $4,125 a month; New York uses the median-income option. HCR’s weatherization memo describes the HEAP limits as “60% of State Median Income” ⁠⁷.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Monthly figures from OTDA’s 2025-26 table ⁠³ and the 2026-27 table on ny.gov ⁠¹. Annual column = monthly x 12. The Governor’s release rounds the four-person figure to $82,230 ⁠².

Households receiving SNAP, federally funded Temporary Assistance or Code A SSI (living alone) are eligible without an income test ⁠³. At least one household member must be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen ⁠³, and the state’s application page asks for a valid Social Security number for household members ⁠¹.

What a Regular HEAP payment buys, fuel by fuel

The Regular benefit is paid once per season. If you pay for heat directly, it goes to the vendor that supplies your main heat source, so delivered-fuel buyers should check that their dealer is on the HEAP Participating Vendor List linked from OTDA’s page ⁠³.

2025-26 amounts from OTDA ⁠³; 2026-27 increases from the October 16, 2026 announcement ⁠². As of October 20, 2026, ny.gov still showed the 2025-26 amounts for the other categories ⁠¹.

Two add-ons apply only to households that pay for heat directly ⁠³:

• Tier 1, plus $61: gross income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, or an adult receiving SNAP, federally funded Temporary Assistance or Code A SSI ⁠²⁠³.
• Vulnerable member, plus $35: someone in the home is 60 or older, under 6, or permanently disabled ⁠².

With both add-ons, an oil-heated household with a member 60 or older and Tier 1 income receives $1,086 in 2026-27 ($990 + $61 + $35) ⁠².

Emergency HEAP from January 4, 2027: the quarter-tank rule and the $2,500 resource test

Emergency HEAP is a second payment for a heating emergency and opens January 4, 2027 ⁠¹. Last season it ran from January 2, 2026 until April 24, 2026 in New York City ⁠³⁠⁴. Under OTDA’s 2025-26 rules, you have an emergency if any of these apply ⁠³:

• your electric or gas heat is off or scheduled to be shut off;
• your heating system or thermostat needs electricity, and the electric service is off or scheduled for shutoff;
• you have less than a quarter tank of oil, kerosene or propane, or less than a 10-day supply of wood, pellets, corn or other delivered fuel.

Emergency HEAP also counts savings: available resources must be under $2,500, or under $3,750 if someone in the home is 60 or older or under 6. The heating or electric bill must also be in your name ⁠³.

Source: OTDA ⁠³. OTDA had not posted 2026-27 emergency amounts on October 20, 2026.

Furnace help for homeowners is open now: HERR and Clean and Tune

Both opened October 1, 2026 ⁠⁴⁠⁵. The HERR benefit pays to repair or replace a furnace, boiler or other equipment needed to keep the main heat source working. It covers actual cost, up to $4,000 for a repair and $8,000 for a replacement ⁠⁴. Under OTDA’s 2025-26 rules, you must own and live in the home and be 60 or older when you apply ⁠³. A HEAP Local District Contact must approve the job before work starts, and the vendor is paid after the work is finished ⁠³.

The Clean and Tune benefit pays up to $500 to clean a homeowner’s primary heating equipment and improve its efficiency ⁠⁴.

Summer cooling: an air conditioner, not a bill payment

HEAP Cooling Assistance pays no bills; it provides one installed air conditioner or fan per household: up to $800 for a window or portable unit or a fan, or $1,000 for a unit in an existing wall sleeve ⁠³. The 2025-26 cooling benefit opened April 15, 2026 and closed June 5, 2026, and no 2027 dates had been announced by October 20, 2026 ⁠³⁠⁴. To qualify, a household needs either a member with a documented medical condition made worse by extreme heat or a member who is 60 or older or under 6. You also need no working air conditioner, or one at least five years old, and no HEAP-funded air conditioner in the past five years ⁠³.

Applying for 2026-27 HEAP in New York, step by step

1. Check whether you are automatic

   If anyone in the household gets SNAP or Public Assistance, ask your district whether a Regular HEAP payment will be issued without an application ⁠².

2. Find your office

   Outside New York City, look up your county on OTDA’s HEAP Local District Contacts page. In the city, use ACCESS HRA or call 718-557-1399 ⁠³⁠⁵.

3. Gather documents

   You will need proof of where you live (a utility bill, lease or tax bill), recent pay stubs or other gross income proof for every household member, and photo ID ⁠¹.

4. Apply on or after November 2, 2026

   Use myBenefits.ny.gov or ACCESS HRA online, mail the paper application, or apply in person ⁠¹⁠². Benefits are first come, first served until funds run out. In New York City, last season’s Regular benefit closed April 10, 2026 ⁠⁴.

5. Call the district for emergencies

   For Emergency HEAP (from January 4, 2027), HERR or Clean and Tune, contact the HEAP Local District Contact directly. These cannot be requested on OTDA’s website ⁠³.

6. Watch for your notice

   If you qualify, the district must notify you within 30 business days of receiving your application ⁠¹.

7. Follow up if denied or delayed

   OTDA’s public HEAP pages do not describe an appeal procedure. Ask your district about your rights, or call the OTDA Hotline at 1-800-342-3009 ⁠³. Regular HEAP is one benefit per program year, so apply again next season unless your payment is automatic ⁠³.

Weatherization through HCR’s local providers

NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) runs weatherization separately, through local Weatherization Assistance Providers, and it pays no bills ⁠⁶. Crews seal cracks and holes, add attic or wall insulation, repair or replace heating systems, and install efficient lighting and appliances. Services are free for homeowners and renters, and landlords must contribute to the cost ⁠⁶. Seniors, families with children and people with disabilities get priority, and anyone in a household receiving HEAP is automatically eligible ⁠⁶.

The usual federal limit is 200% of poverty. New York’s limit is 60% of state median income instead ⁠⁶. HCR’s latest posted chart (Program Year 25, dated December 17, 2025) matches the 2025-26 HEAP limits for 1 to 8 people: for example, $6,680 a month for four. For 9 or more people, it uses the higher 200%-of-poverty figure, such as $119,300 a year for nine ⁠⁷. Find your county’s provider in HCR’s online directory, or call HCR at 518-474-5700 ⁠⁶.

After HEAP: your utility discount and shutoff protections

A HEAP benefit of any type enrolls you in the Energy Affordability Program (EAP), a monthly bill discount offered by Central Hudson, Con Edison, National Fuel, National Grid, NYSEG, Orange & Rockland, PSEG Long Island and Rochester Gas & Electric under the Department of Public Service program ⁠⁸. The discount aims to keep energy costs at or below 6% of household income ⁠⁸. Since January 13, 2026, the Enhanced EAP has also covered customers without a qualifying benefit whose income is below median: for a family of four, $162,000 with Con Edison or National Grid NYC, $164,900 with National Grid Long Island and $133,609 elsewhere (as of October 15, 2026). Apply at nyeeap.com ⁠⁸.

Under the Home Energy Fair Practices Act (HEFPA), between November 1 and April 15 a utility must make a special effort to find out whether shutting off heat-related service would seriously endanger health or safety ⁠⁹. A doctor’s or local board of health certificate blocks a shutoff for a serious medical condition. It must be renewed if the condition lasts more than 30 days, and a life-support certificate stays in effect until the Department of Public Service ends it ⁠⁹. Households made up only of people 62 or older, blind or disabled, plus children 18 or younger, get special contact attempts around any shutoff ⁠⁹. For a shutoff threat or reconnection, call the DPS emergency hotline at 800-342-3355 ⁠⁹.

See the New York assistance hub or compare states on the energy and utility assistance page.