Utility Bill Help in New York

If you're new to this, start with how the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and other utility help work. This page covers New York: HEAP dates and limits, how to apply, Energy Affordability Program discounts and shutoff rules.

HEAP is New York's name for LIHEAP. OTDA runs it through your county social services office. In New York City, it goes through the city's Human Resources Administration (HRA). It helps pay for heat, helps in a heating emergency, fixes furnaces and can provide an air conditioner. If you've been wearing a coat indoors to keep the heating bill down, start here.

You may qualify if

• Someone in your home is a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen.
• Your household's gross income is at or below $3,563 a month for one person, or $4,659 for two.
• Or you get Temporary Assistance, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as a person living alone. Food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), once called food stamps, count too.

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, and as early in the season as you can, because help is first come, first served. If you would rather not do it alone, a Pair Team advocate can help you apply.

HEAP benefits for 2026 to 2027

Add $61 if your income is very low or you get SNAP. For Emergency HEAP, savings must be under $3,750 if anyone at home is 60 or older.

What happened with HEAP last winter?

Last winter, the federal shutdown pushed HEAP's opening to December 1, 2025, a month late. Regular HEAP closed April 10, 2026, and Emergency HEAP closed April 24. Many households in other benefit programs got HEAP without applying.

What is the Energy Affordability Program?

The Energy Affordability Program (EAP) is a monthly discount on your gas or electric bill. It's worth up to $500 a year, the Governor's office says. If you get HEAP, the big utilities enroll you on their own. People with Medicaid, SNAP or SSI also qualify. Since January 13, 2026, households under the state or area median income can apply too. Ask your utility if you're enrolled.

How to apply

1. Outside New York City, apply online at myBenefits.ny.gov or with your county's HEAP office. Use the OTDA contact list to find it.
2. In New York City, apply on ACCESS HRA, at a HEAP office, by fax to 917-639-2900, or by mail to HEAP, P.O. Box 1401, Church Street Station, New York, NY 10008. Call 718-557-1399 to get a form.
3. On paper, use the HEAP Application (LDSS-3421), and remember to sign Section 9.
4. For Emergency HEAP, call or visit your county HEAP office, or HRA in New York City.
5. Wait for the answer. You'll hear within 30 business days, OTDA says.

For help with the form, older adults can call NY Connects at 1-800-342-9871.

Your shutoff rights in New York

The Home Energy Fair Practices Act (HEFPA) protects gas, electric and steam customers. It does not cover oil or propane dealers, but Emergency HEAP can help if you're low on fuel.

• Age 62 and older. This covers homes where every adult is 62 or older, blind or disabled. The utility must call or visit at least 3 days before a shutoff. With no plan, it must tell social services and keep service on 15 more business days. Tell your utility now so it marks your account.
• A doctor's note can hold off a shutoff. If your doctor tells the utility that losing service would make a medical emergency worse, service stays on for 30 days. It can be renewed. For life-support equipment, the hold has no set end, but every three months you must show why you can't pay.
• Cold weather, November 1 to April 15. The utility must try to reach someone at home at least 3 days before a heat-related shutoff, and again that day.
• Ask for a payment plan. You can offer to pay what you owe in parts you can afford. The utility can turn down less than $10 a month.

Shutoffs can only happen Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and never in the two weeks around Christmas and New Year's. If a shutoff is coming, call the Department of Public Service hotline at 1-800-342-3355.

What a Pair Team advocate does

When a New York patient calls us about a heating bill, it's rarely the only bill. Medicaid renewals and rent often come up in the same call, so here's what we do:

• Check, in one call, whether you get HEAP on its own, need to apply, or qualify for EAP.
• Apply with you, then follow up until the payment reaches your utility or fuel dealer.
• Call the utility with you to set up a payment plan, mark your account for age, or get a doctor's note sent.
• Help with what usually comes with it: Medicaid, SNAP, rides and housing.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

I heat with oil. What if I run out before Emergency HEAP opens?

If you run out of oil before Emergency HEAP opens, call your county social services office. If HEAP can't help, ask about emergency help through Temporary Assistance.

Does HEAP count against my Medicaid or SNAP?

HEAP does not count against your Medicaid or SNAP, because energy help does not count as income, federal law says. If someone at home is 60 or older or disabled, getting HEAP can even raise your SNAP benefit.

Do I have to pay a deposit to start utility service?

You don't have to pay a deposit to start utility service if you get SSI or public assistance. At 62 or older you don't pay one either. The exception is a shutoff for an unpaid bill in the last six months.

Can a family member get my shutoff notices?

Yes, ask your utility to send copies of your shutoff notices to a relative or friend who agrees in writing. They can call the utility for you but don't have to pay.

My landlord did not pay the heat bill. What happens?

If your landlord didn't pay, the utility must warn you first, with at least 30 days' notice for heat in winter. You can pay the utility yourself and take it off the rent.

Sources

• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), OTDA
• How to Apply, OTDA
• Energy Assistance, NYC Human Resources Administration
• Your Rights as a Residential Gas, Electric or Steam Customer under HEFPA, NY Department of Public Service
• Energy Affordability Program, NY Department of Public Service
• New Yorkers Can Now Apply for Home Energy Assistance, Governor Kathy Hochul