HEAP in Erie County: Eligibility, Documents, and How to Apply

HEAP in Erie County is the local delivery of New York’s Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded benefit that helps lower-income households pay heating bills, fix broken furnaces, cover emergency fuel, and buy air conditioners for heat-sensitive members. Applications are handled by the Erie County Department of Social Services at 460 Main Street in Buffalo. For the 2025–2026 season, Regular HEAP opened December 1, 2025 and closed April 10, 2026; Emergency HEAP opened January 2, 2026 and runs until state funding is exhausted.¹ The Cooling Assistance benefit for summer 2026 opens in the spring.

Who Qualifies in Erie County

You have to live in Erie County, and every person in the household needs a Social Security number and either U.S. citizenship or qualified non-citizen status.¹

Financial eligibility runs on total gross monthly household income. The 2025–2026 limits:¹

1 person: $3,473
2 people: $4,542
3 people: $5,611
4 people: $6,680
5 people: $7,749
6 people: $8,818
Each additional person: add $687

These ceilings sit higher than many people assume. A four-person household earning roughly $80,000 a year still fits under the $6,680 cap.

If your household already gets SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI Living Alone), you’re automatically income-eligible. You still submit an application, but the income check is handled through your existing enrollment.¹

Regular HEAP doesn’t look at your savings or assets. Emergency HEAP does: available liquid resources must be under $2,500, or under $3,750 if any household member is 60 or older or under age 6.¹

What HEAP Pays For

HEAP is a set of separate benefits. You can receive more than one in the same season if you qualify.

Regular Benefit

This is the main heating payment. The base amount depends on your fuel type and living situation for 2025–2026:²

Oil, kerosene, or propane: $900 plus applicable add-ons
Wood, pellets, coal, or corn: $635 plus applicable add-ons
Electric or natural gas paid directly: $400 plus applicable add-ons
Heat included in rent: $45 or $50
Subsidized housing with heat included: $21

Two add-ons can raise the base. Households in the lowest income tier (Tier 1) get an extra $61. Households with a member age 60 or older, under 6, or permanently disabled get an extra $35. Both add-ons can stack.¹

Emergency Benefit

Emergency HEAP is for households whose heat is shut off, facing disconnection, or nearly out of fuel. “Nearly out” means less than a quarter tank of oil, kerosene, or propane, or fewer than ten days’ worth of wood, pellets, or coal. Amounts for 2025–2026:¹

Non-utility fuel (oil, kerosene, propane): $900
Deliverable fuel (wood, pellets, coal, corn): $635
Natural gas combined with electric for heating equipment: $585
Electric heat combined with electric for heating equipment: $585
Natural gas heat only: $400
Electric service needed to run heating equipment: $185

Emergency applications carry the resource limits above in addition to the income test.

Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR)

If your primary heating system is broken or unsafe, HERR pays up to $4,000 for a repair and up to $8,000 for a full replacement of a furnace, boiler, or similar equipment.³ You must own your home. Payment is based on the actual cost of the work. HERR closed for the 2025–2026 season on April 10, 2026.

Clean and Tune

Clean and Tune covers a professional cleaning, inspection, and tune-up of your heating system, once per year. It runs year-round rather than only during the heating season, and you must own the home.

Cooling Assistance

The Cooling Assistance Benefit pays up to $800 for a window or portable air conditioner or a fan, or up to $1,000 for an existing wall sleeve unit, including installation labor and minor safety repairs. Your household needs someone age 60 or older, a child under 6, or a member with a documented medical condition worsened by heat. You cannot have received a HEAP-funded air conditioner within the past five years, and any current unit must be non-functional or at least five years old. The summer 2026 window opens in the spring on a first-come, first-served basis.⁴

Documents to Gather Before You Apply

Missing paperwork is the most common reason an application stalls. Pull these together first:

Social Security numbers for everyone in the household
Proof of residency, such as a current rent receipt with your landlord’s name and contact information, or a recent utility bill
Income verification covering the last four weeks: pay stubs, Social Security award letters, pension statements, or similar
Your most recent heating and electric bills, which show your fuel vendor and account numbers

The application itself is form LDSS-3421, available on the Erie County Department of Social Services website or in person at 460 Main Street in Buffalo.⁵

How to Apply

Erie County residents can file in several ways:

Online for Regular HEAP through myBenefits.ny.gov, which lets you upload supporting documents
In person or by mail at 460 Main Street, Buffalo, NY
By fax to the Erie County HEAP office

Online filing is the fastest route and gives you a confirmation. Emergency HEAP often needs to be handled in person or by phone so the crisis can be verified quickly.⁵

What Happens After You Apply

A caseworker at the Erie County Department of Social Services reviews your application against state and federal eligibility rules. You’ll receive a written Notice of Decision, generally within 30 business days, stating whether you were approved and the exact dollar amount.

HEAP money does not come to you. Payments go directly to your utility company or fuel vendor and appear as a credit on your heating account. The design keeps the funds tied to energy costs.

If Your Application Is Denied

You can request a fair hearing through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Requests can be submitted online, by mail, by fax, or by phone.⁶ At the hearing you can present documentation supporting your eligibility. Common grounds for appeal include miscalculated income, household members counted incorrectly, and documents that weren’t reviewed before the initial decision.

1
New York State. Apply for Heating Assistance (HEAP)
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Erie County. Regular Benefits – HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program)
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New York State. Apply for Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement
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ACCESS NYC. Cooling Assistance Benefit
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Erie County. HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program)
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OTDA. Request Hearing – Fair Hearings