Delaware Energy Assistance Program: Eligibility, Benefits, and How to Apply

The Delaware Energy Assistance Program (DEAP) helps low-income households pay heating, cooling, and emergency energy costs using federal LIHEAP money. The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services oversees it, and Catholic Charities runs applications and benefits statewide.¹ For fiscal year 2026, benefits range from a $100 heating credit to as much as $10,000 for a life-threatening energy emergency.

Who Qualifies

Income is the main test. Delaware sets its cutoff at 60% of the State Median Income, and the same threshold applies to heating, cooling, crisis, and weatherization components.¹ The dollar figure depends on how many people live in your home and changes each year. You can check where you stand through the state’s ASSIST screening tool or by calling a Catholic Charities county office.

Some households qualify automatically. Under federal law, if anyone in your home receives TANF, SSI, SNAP, or certain veterans’ pension payments, you meet the income requirement without further verification.²

You also need to be a current Delaware resident, be responsible for your energy costs (either paying a utility directly or having heating and cooling bundled into your rent), and be a U.S. citizen or have qualifying immigration status.³

What You Can Get

DEAP has three components, each with its own season and benefit range. The program is not built to cover an entire bill, so keep paying your utility while your application is under review.

Heating (Fuel) Assistance

Applications are accepted October 1 through March 31.⁴ Fiscal year 2026 heating benefits run from $100 to $2,464 depending on income, household size, and energy costs.¹ Any primary heating source counts: electric, natural gas, propane, or oil.

Cooling Assistance

The cooling program runs May 1 through August 31 and helps with electricity costs tied to air conditioning.¹ Fiscal year 2026 benefits go up to $1,000 per household. One prerequisite: you must have applied for heating assistance during the preceding season to qualify for cooling help.⁴

Crisis Assistance

Crisis help is available year-round. Use this component if you’re facing a shutoff, have already lost service, or your heating or cooling equipment has failed. The maximum fiscal year 2026 crisis benefit is $10,000.¹

Life-threatening situations move faster. If a household member depends on medical equipment such as an oxygen concentrator or CPAP machine, the program must provide assistance within 18 hours of a completed application. Non-life-threatening crises are addressed within 48 hours of document verification.⁵ Say so immediately when you contact Catholic Charities if a medical need applies.

Documents to Gather

Missing paperwork is the most common reason an application stalls. Catholic Charities asks for the following:³

Social Security cards for every household member six months or older.
Citizenship or immigration documentation (U.S. birth certificate, naturalization papers, or proof of qualifying alien status).
Government-issued photo ID showing your current address.
Three months of income documentation for every adult: pay stubs, Social Security or disability award letters, pension statements, TANF or unemployment records, and child support documents.
Your most recent electric, gas, propane, or other energy bills.
A lease if you rent, or a mortgage statement or deed if you own.

Weekly pay stubs mean roughly 12 or 13 for the income portion; monthly benefits mean three consecutive statements.

If You Have No Income

Any adult in the household with no income must complete a Statement of Zero Income form, certifying under penalty of perjury that they receive nothing from wages, self-employment (including gig work), Social Security, disability, child support, public assistance, or any other source. The form must be notarized.⁶ False information is fraud and can cost you benefits, so only sign it if it genuinely applies.

How to Apply

You have two options: apply online through the state’s ASSIST portal, or visit a Catholic Charities county office. ASSIST is the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services’ online system, and it lets you complete the form and upload digital copies of your documents.⁷

For in-person applications, Catholic Charities has three offices:³

New Castle County: 2601 W. 4th Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
Kent County: 2099 S. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901
Sussex County: 404 S. Bedford Street, Suite 9, Georgetown, DE 19947

One catch to flag before you start the online form: first-time LIHEAP applicants and households with ten or more members must apply in person. The portal does not handle those situations, so call a county office to schedule an intake appointment.⁴

After You Apply

State workers verify income, residency, and household information. You’ll receive a written notice by mail with the decision and the reasoning behind it.

If approved, the payment does not come to you. The program sends a credit or payment directly to the utility company listed on your application, as federal rules require.⁸ Benefit amounts and release dates can shift year to year based on federal funding, so keep paying your utility bills until your eligibility letter confirms the benefit has been applied.⁴ You can check status by calling the Catholic Charities office where you applied, or by logging into ASSIST if you applied online.

If You’re Denied

A denial, or a long silence, can be appealed. Federal law requires every state running LIHEAP to offer a fair administrative hearing.² Your denial letter should spell out the steps. If it doesn’t, or if no notice arrived, contact Catholic Charities or the Delaware Division of Social Services to start the process.

Read the letter closely first. If the problem is a missing document rather than ineligibility, resubmitting a complete application is usually faster than a formal hearing.

Reapplying Each Year

Benefits don’t renew automatically. Each program year, you submit a new application with current documentation, including fresh income verification and recent utility bills, even if nothing in your situation has changed. Since the heating window opens October 1, returning applicants should start collecting three months of income documents over the summer.

Weatherization as a Separate Option

Delaware runs a separate Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) through DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy that pays for physical home improvements, including insulation, air sealing, and heating system repairs. Both homeowners and renters qualify; renters need written landlord permission and a copy of their lease.⁹

Income limits are higher than LIHEAP’s:

1 person: $30,120
2 persons: $40,880
3 persons: $51,640
4 persons: $62,400
5 persons: $73,160

Add $10,760 per additional person for larger households. Households that don’t qualify for bill-payment help may still be eligible here. Demand usually exceeds funding, so approved applicants go on a waiting list prioritized by need, age, health conditions, and available funds. If you aren’t served within 12 months, you reapply to confirm you still meet the income rules.¹⁰ A LIHEAP heating application also makes you eligible for weatherization referrals, so apply for both if your home has drafty windows, poor insulation, or an aging furnace.

1
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. Delaware
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 8624 – Applications and Requirements
3
Catholic Charities. Energy Assistance
4
Catholic Charities. Heating Application
5
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Crisis – States and Territories
6
New Castle County, Delaware. Statement of Zero Income
7
Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. ASSIST – Delaware Application for Social Services and Support Technology
8
USAGov. Get Help with Energy Bills
9
Energy Coordinating Agency. Weatherization
10
DNREC. Weatherization Assistance Program