Ohio energy and utility bill assistance: HEAP, crisis programs, PIPP Plus and HWAP (2026-27)

HEAP moved from Development to ODJFS in April 2026

Until spring 2026, the Ohio Department of Development ran these programs ⁠². Since April 6, 2026, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has run HEAP, PIPP Plus, both crisis programs, the Electric Partnership Program and weatherization. ODJFS says the application process did not change ⁠³.

The FFY 2027 plan lists 51 local administering agencies, mostly community action agencies. They decide eligibility and pay the utility or fuel dealer ⁠¹. In Cuyahoga County, ODJFS put the county out to bid and gave all of it to one provider, Stepforward, so residents have a single agency to contact ⁠². Ohio has one statewide online application, reached through the state’s OHID login ⁠¹⁠³. The state says it takes applications by phone, and neither it nor its providers require an in-person appointment to apply for regular HEAP ⁠².

The 175% line and Ohio’s 30-day or 12-month income test

HEAP, both crisis programs and PIPP Plus use the same income limit for 2026-2027: 175% of the federal poverty guidelines for up to seven people, and 60% of state median income for larger households ⁠⁴. Measured over 30 days, the limit is $2,295.62 for one person and $4,746.58 for four ⁠⁴. Providers count gross income from the last 30 days or the last 12 months for everyone in the home, except wages earned by dependents under 18 ⁠⁴. ODJFS prefers 12 months ⁠³. A VA pension counts as income, but VA disability payments do not ⁠².

Receiving SNAP, SSI or TANF does not qualify you on its own. Ohio’s 2026-2027 draft plan answers “no” to categorical eligibility, so every household must document its income ⁠². If you report zero income for two or more seasons, you need a filed IRS 1040, a tax transcript or proof of non-filing ⁠³. Renters qualify too. If the utility bill is in the landlord’s name, you must prove that you pay all or part of it ⁠².

What regular HEAP pays, and why PIPP Plus customers get less

Regular HEAP is one credit per winter, applied to your main heating account. It covers PUCO-regulated utilities, municipal utilities, rural co-ops and delivered fuel ⁠⁴. The amount comes from a benefit matrix based on income as a share of poverty, household size, fuel type and region. It is larger if someone in the home is 60 or older, is 5 or younger, or has a documented disability ⁠¹⁠⁴. The FFY 2027 plan lists a range of $31 to $546. ODJFS based those figures on the FY 2026 matrix and will file the final FY 2027 matrix once federal funding is settled ⁠¹. A household on both HEAP and PIPP Plus gets a HEAP benefit 75% smaller ⁠³.

ODJFS says credits can post as early as October ⁠³; the Consumers’ Counsel says January ⁠⁴. Processing can take up to 12 weeks, and ODJFS asks you to allow 90 days for HEAP and PIPP Plus ⁠³⁠⁴.

Winter Crisis: the $175 rule and the 30-day shutoff hold

The Winter Crisis Program, also called Emergency HEAP or E-HEAP, runs November 2, 2026 through March 31, 2027 and can be used once per season ⁠⁵. You must be under the 175% limit and also meet one of these conditions: your service is off, you have a disconnection notice, you need to start or transfer service, you need to enroll in PIPP Plus or fix a PIPP Plus default, or your bulk fuel tank is 25% full or less. The bill must be in an adult household member’s name ⁠⁵.

Source: Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel ⁠⁵. The FFY 2027 State Plan sets $1,200 as the overall Winter Crisis maximum ⁠¹.

Winter Crisis can pay the $175 owed under the PUCO Special Reconnect Order ⁠⁸. If you owe more, you pay a copay or go on a payment plan ⁠¹⁠⁵. Crisis funds also cover bulk fuel tank testing, placement, rental and gauges. For homeowners, they can sometimes repair, replace or install the main heat source, including wood burners and pellet stoves ⁠⁵.

Providers must resolve an eligible crisis within 48 hours, or 18 hours if a life is at risk. The clock starts when you schedule the appointment ⁠¹. Booking a crisis appointment also requires a PUCO-regulated utility to hold off disconnection for 30 days. You can use that hold once a year ⁠⁵. You cannot get Winter Crisis help while a 30-day medical certificate is still active on your account ⁠⁵.

Summer Crisis targets older adults and medical conditions

Summer Crisis requires income under the 175% limit plus one more condition. In 2026, that meant a member aged 60 or older, a member with a medically documented condition, or an electric shutoff or new service ⁠³⁠⁶. The FFY 2027 plan names only age and medical need ⁠¹. The 2026 season ran July 1 to September 30. It paid up to $500 on a PUCO-regulated electric bill, or $800 for municipal and co-op customers. It also offered central air repair, air conditioners and fans ⁠⁶. A household can get one air conditioner or fan unit every three years ⁠¹. The 2027 season is planned for July 1 to August 31, 2027, with a $1,300 maximum ⁠¹.

Applying through the Energy Assistance Portal or your county provider

1. Find your provider

   Open the Community Assistance Providers Map on the ODJFS Energy and Community Assistance page, choose your county, and note the agency’s phone number ⁠³⁠¹⁴.

2. Pick online, mail or phone

   For regular HEAP or PIPP Plus, sign in with OHID, request access to the Energy Assistance Portal tile and apply. Use a computer with Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge. The portal does not work on phones or tablets ⁠³. You can also mail a paper application or apply by phone or in person with the provider ⁠³.

3. Book an appointment for crisis help

   You can start a crisis application online, but you must finish it at an in-person or remote appointment with your provider ⁠³⁠⁵. Booking that appointment starts the 30-day shutoff hold ⁠⁵.

4. Gather documents

   You need birth dates and Social Security numbers for everyone in the household, and 30 days or 12 months of income proof for each member 18 or older. Also bring your latest gas and electric bills, even if past due, proof of citizenship or legal residency, and proof of disability if it applies ⁠⁴.

5. Check the weatherization box

   One combined application covers HEAP, PIPP Plus and weatherization ⁠¹⁠¹².

6. Track the decision

   Check status in the portal or with your provider ⁠³. Your written notice shows the benefit amount and your appeal rights ⁠¹.

7. Reapply on time

   HEAP applications for this winter close May 31, 2027 ⁠⁴. PIPP Plus must be re-verified every 12 months ⁠⁷.

PIPP Plus, the Special Reconnect Order and medical certificates

PIPP Plus is a year-round payment plan for customers of PUCO-regulated electric and gas utilities with income under 175% of poverty ⁠⁷. You pay 5% of monthly household income for gas and 5% for electric, or 10% in an all-electric home, with a $10 minimum ⁠⁷. Each payment made in full and on time cancels 1/24 of your past-due balance, so 24 such payments clear it ⁠³⁠⁷. New enrollees pay no deposit and no late fees. You must re-verify every year and report changes within 30 days ⁠⁷.

The Special Reconnect Order was issued by PUCO on September 30, 2026 and runs October 12, 2026 to April 16, 2027. Any residential customer of a PUCO-regulated utility, at any income, can pay $175 plus a reconnection fee of no more than $36 to stop a shutoff or restore service. It can be used once per winter ⁠⁸. You can also start new service by paying $175 toward the deposit ⁠⁹.

A 30-day medical certificate must be signed by a licensed medical professional. It stops a disconnection, or restores service that has been off no more than 21 days. You can use it up to three times in 12 months, and there is no income test ⁠¹⁰. From November 1 through April 15, utilities must give a second 10-day notice before disconnecting and must offer the One-Third winter payment plan ⁠¹¹.

HWAP and the Electric Partnership Program cut usage instead of paying bills

The Home Weatherization Assistance Program serves all 88 counties using U.S. Department of Energy and LIHEAP funds ⁠¹³. It provides a free inspection, health and safety testing, air sealing, insulation and heating system repair or replacement. Renters need the landlord’s approval ⁠¹². The income limit is 200% of poverty, $66,000 for four from July 2026 to June 2027 ⁠³⁠¹². Anyone who received SSI, TANF or regular HEAP in the last 12 months qualifies automatically. Winter Crisis help does not count ⁠³. Each county keeps a waiting list. Older adults, people with disabilities, families with children and high-energy-burden homes go first, in order of eligibility date ⁠¹. LIHEAP-funded work is capped at $8,547 per home, plus $1,200 for incidental repairs ⁠¹. A waiver requested under Ohio’s House Bill 6 adds about $15.7 million for an HWAP Enhancement. It pays for furnace, electrical, plumbing, roof and air-conditioning repairs in homes up to 175% of poverty that were previously deferred ⁠¹.

The Electric Partnership Program provides an in-home audit, efficient bulbs, weather-stripping and sometimes new appliances ⁠¹. To qualify, you need income under 175% of poverty, 12 months of electric use at your address, and a baseload of at least 5,000 kWh a year. You must also be a customer of AES Ohio, Duke Energy, Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison or Ohio Power ⁠¹⁴.

Appealing a HEAP, crisis or PIPP decision in three steps

1. Send a written appeal with documents to your provider’s HEAP coordinator within 30 days of your notice. The provider has 30 days to decide ⁠¹.
2. If the provider denies it, ask the provider’s executive director in writing for a formal hearing within 30 days. The provider must schedule it within 30 days ⁠¹.
3. After the hearing, you have 30 days to appeal to ODJFS Office of Community Support Services, Appeals, PO Box 2169, Columbus, Ohio 43216, or [email protected], with new information. ODJFS decides within 30 days. A final federal appeal goes to HHS ⁠¹.

See the Ohio assistance hub for other programs, or compare states on the energy and utility assistance page.