Utah energy and utility bill assistance: HEAT, crisis help and weatherization (2026-27)

One DWS system, eight county agencies

You apply with the agency that serves your county, but every case goes through DWS’s statewide eligibility system, eREP. That is the same system DWS uses for SNAP, TANF and Medicaid, so many applicants are already on file ⁠¹. DWS mails a Notice of Decision that shows the approval or denial and how much goes to each vendor ⁠¹. Payments go straight to the utility or fuel company. Exceptions are when utilities are included in your rent, when you heat with wood, or when the state has no contract with your vendor ⁠¹.

You can also call 801-526-9920 or 1-866-205-4357 and choose the option for your county ⁠⁴.

How Utah counts last month’s income against the 150% line

HEAT does not look at annual income. It counts the income everyone in the household received in the calendar month before the month you apply. For a mailed application, that is the month before the postmark ⁠⁴. Two adjustments come first. Twenty percent of earned income, including self-employment income, is subtracted. Then medical and health insurance costs, child support and alimony that you actually paid in that month are deducted, as long as you have receipts ⁠⁶. The value of assets does not count, but regular withdrawals from a 401(k) or trust do ⁠⁶.

Take a family of four with $4,800 in gross wages last month. After the 20% disregard, HEAT counts $3,840. That is under the $4,125 limit for four on the 2026 chart, so the family qualifies ⁠³. Besides the income test, the household must pay for home energy, directly or through rent, and must include at least one adult and at least one U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen ⁠².

How HEAT sizes one payment per season: $140 to $800

Utah calls HEAT year-round help, and its State Plan runs both heating and cooling components from October 1 to September 30. Both use the same 150% limit and the same benefit range ⁠¹. In practice, the eligibility system allows only one heating or cooling payment per household per season ⁠¹. Utah Community Action lets approved clients choose how to split the benefit between gas and electric ⁠¹². On the paper form, you choose 100%, 50/50 or 25/75, and you cannot change the split after you submit ⁠⁴.

The amount comes from a benefit matrix. Your counted income is divided by the 100% poverty figure for your household size. Then your energy burden is worked out from a standard monthly energy cost for your fuel and home type. The lowest-income households with the highest burden get the most ⁠⁶. For FFY 2026, the plan sets a $140 minimum and an $800 maximum ⁠¹. Two flat credits are added on top ⁠¹:

• Target group credit, $150. For a household with someone 60 or older, someone with a disability, or a child under 6. Only one credit is allowed per household. These households also get their applications reviewed first during October ⁠¹⁠⁶.
• Propane or fuel oil credit, $150. For households whose main heat source is propane or oil ⁠¹.

DWS can also send supplemental payments to approved households in a season when funding allows ⁠¹. Agencies give out blankets, LED bulbs and window film. Fans and air conditioners come through weatherization for households that need extra cooling ⁠¹.

HEAT Crisis: 48-hour notices, low tanks and the $1,500 cap

To get crisis help, you must first be HEAT-eligible for the current year ⁠⁶. The plan defines a crisis as a 48-hour shutoff notice, or less than 10% left in a propane or oil tank, together with a sudden event beyond your control in the past 90 days that left you unable to pay ⁠¹. The 2023 policy manual gives examples: medical costs, a lost job or benefit, or broken heating or cooling equipment. Simply not paying, or a high bill with no explanation, does not count ⁠⁶. A household can receive one crisis benefit every two years, up to $1,500 ⁠¹.

Agencies must deliver help within 48 hours, or 18 hours in a life-threatening case ⁠¹. Utah counts a case as life-threatening only if someone in the home needs power for a medical device or to store medication, and the utility has given written notice that the home has life-supporting equipment ⁠¹. Crisis money is paid only to the vendor. If any part of your regular HEAT payment was paid to you directly, you cannot get crisis help ⁠¹. Broken or inefficient furnaces are referred to the Weatherization program for crisis repair or replacement. A window air conditioner requires a doctor’s note ⁠¹. Utah Community Action warns that a shutoff notice does not guarantee a fast appointment, and you still need to keep paying your bills ⁠¹².

Filing a HEAT application in Utah

1. Find your county’s agency

   Use the table above or DWS’s Local HEAT Offices page. Several agencies let you book appointments online ⁠⁵.

2. Pick a way to apply

   Apply online through myCase, or mail, email or fax the paper application to your agency ⁠⁴⁠⁵. Many agencies also take phone appointments, and in some cases an intake worker can come to your home ⁠¹⁠¹².

3. Gather last month’s documents

   You need proof of all income for everyone in the household, receipts for medical costs and child support or alimony you paid, current utility bills, proof of disability if it applies, and USCIS papers for any non-citizen ⁠⁴. If utilities are included in your rent, include your lease or form 1062H, Landlord Statement. Any adult with no income completes form 880, Household Income Deficit Statement ⁠⁴.

4. Choose your vendor split

   List each utility account and the percentage to send to it. Mark any account that is off or has a 48-hour notice, and attach the notice ⁠⁴.

5. Answer follow-up requests within 10 days

   If you don’t send the requested documents within 10 days, the application can be denied ⁠⁴.

6. Expect a decision in weeks, not days

   Utah Community Action says processing takes 6 to 8 weeks, and approved benefits show up on utility accounts 6 to 10 days after that ⁠¹². Keep paying your bills in the meantime.

7. Challenge a denial or delay

   You can request a fair hearing if you are denied or the agency has not acted within 45 days ⁠⁴. Under the 2023 manual, the request must be in writing within 60 days. You can send it to your local or state HEAT office or to the DWS Division of Adjudication ⁠⁶. For complaints about how you were treated, call 866-205-4357 ⁠².

If you are denied, you can reapply at any time before the season ends ⁠⁶. Suspected fraud goes to [email protected] ⁠².

Utah’s winter Moratorium, November 15 to March 15

Utah’s shutoff protection is a program you apply for through your HEAT agency, not automatic protection. It runs November 15 to March 15, and the state HEAT office can start it earlier or extend it in severe weather ⁠¹. It covers only utilities regulated by the Public Service Commission ⁠⁷. To qualify, you must be the adult account holder, the account holder’s spouse or another adult resident. You must live at the address, have a termination notice (or have been refused service), have applied for HEAT, and make good-faith payments throughout the season ⁠⁷. Households with someone over 60, someone with a disability, or a disabled child must also have applied for utility help through the American Red Cross ⁠⁷. You must also meet one hardship test: HEAT-level income last month, a medical or other emergency, a lost job, or a 50% drop in income in the current or prior month ⁠⁷. The 2023 manual set the monthly payment at 5% of gross income for gas heat or 10% for electric heat, with a $5 minimum. Ask your agency for this season’s terms ⁠⁶.

Bill credits tied to a HEAT approval: HELP and the Enbridge EAC

The LIHEAP Clearinghouse lists no Utah-wide low-income rate; instead, the two large regulated utilities give credits that are linked to HEAT ⁠¹³:

• Rocky Mountain Power HELP (Schedule 3). The Low Income Lifeline Credit is up to $19.00 a month. An extra Life Support Assistance Credit of up to $10.00 a month is available if it applies. Neither credit can exceed the bill charges it offsets ⁠¹⁰. If you send part of your HEAT benefit to Rocky Mountain Power, you are enrolled in HELP for the next 12 months. Separate HELP applications are processed once a year, in July and August ⁠¹².
• Enbridge Gas Energy Assistance Credit. If you direct part of your HEAT payment to Enbridge (formerly Dominion Energy), you get a one-time credit ($109 in the 2025-26 season) and skip the monthly EAC fee ⁠¹¹.

Weatherization: a 200% limit and a points-based waitlist

Utah’s Weatherization Assistance Program uses a higher limit: 200% of poverty, or current HEAT approval ⁠⁹. It does not pay bills. It is a free service to homeowners that makes efficiency repairs, and DWS reports average savings of nearly 35%, about $583 a year ⁠⁸⁠⁹. Renters need the landlord’s approval, and the State Plan encourages landlords to pay a 50% share of certain measures ⁠¹⁠⁹. The plan lists an average cost of $8,547 per home ⁠¹.

Applicants are ranked on a waiting list. You earn 10 points for every 6 months on the list. Income adds 40 points under 75% of poverty, 30 points from 75% to 100%, 20 points from 101% to 125%, 10 points from 126% to 150%, and none above that ⁠¹. DWS also gives priority to older adults, people with disabilities, high energy users, emergencies and homes with preschool children ⁠⁸. Weatherization agencies are not the same as HEAT agencies in every county. For example, Davis, Morgan and Weber residents apply for weatherization through Utah Community Action, not Futures Through Training ⁠⁹. Ask for a weatherization referral on your HEAT application ⁠².

For other programs, see the Utah cash assistance guide, the Utah hub or the 50-state energy assistance comparison.