Maryland Energy Assistance: Grants, Eligibility, and Shutoff Help

Maryland energy assistance comes through the Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP), run by the Department of Human Services, which offers three grants: help with your current heating bill, monthly credits on your electric bill, and a one-time payment to wipe out past-due utility debt. Benefits are available once per fiscal year (July through June), and most households at or below roughly 200% of the federal poverty level qualify.¹

The Three Grants and What Each One Covers

The Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) applies a credit toward your current heating bill, regardless of what fuel you use. Electricity, natural gas, propane, kerosene, oil, coal, and wood all qualify.² The grant amount depends on your household income, size, and fuel type.

The Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) works differently. Instead of a one-time grant, it applies monthly credits to your electric account across multiple billing cycles, which keeps bills more manageable year-round. EUSP is funded by a surcharge on all Maryland electric customers.³

The Arrearage Retirement Assistance (ARA) grant is for households already behind. If your past-due balance is at least $300, ARA can pay up to $2,000 toward an overdue electric bill and up to $1,000 toward an overdue gas bill. You can only receive an arrearage grant once every five years, with limited exceptions, and you must also be eligible for EUSP.¹⁴

Do You Qualify?

Three things decide eligibility: income, residency, and citizenship or qualified immigration status.⁵ Everyone living under your roof counts as part of the household, and the combined gross income over the most recent 30 days is what gets measured.

For fiscal year 2026, the income cap is approximately 200% of the federal poverty level, raised from 175% under 2023 legislation.⁶ Monthly limits by household size:

1 person: $2,608
2 people: $3,525
3 people: $4,441
4 people: $5,358
5 people: $6,275
6 people: $7,191
7 people: $8,108
8 people: $9,025

Add roughly $917 for each additional person beyond eight. If no adult in the household earned any income in the past 30 days, you’ll need to submit a Declaration of Zero Income form.⁷

You must live in Maryland and be responsible for paying the utility bill at your address. Subsidized housing where utilities are bundled into rent doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but the amount or type of help may differ. All household members must be U.S. citizens or qualified immigrants.⁵

How to Apply

Pull these documents together before you start:

A valid government-issued photo ID for the applicant
Social Security cards for every household member, including children
Proof of income for all household members covering the last 30 days (pay stubs, Social Security award letters, pension statements, benefit letters)
Your most recent electric bill, plus your most recent heating fuel bill or receipt if different
Proof of residency such as a lease or mortgage statement
A copy of any termination notice you’ve received

Download the Energy Assistance Application (form DHS-FIA-9780) from the DHS website, or call 1-800-332-6347 to request a paper copy.¹ Completed applications go to the local OHEP office for your county or city; the DHS site lists them.⁸ The myMDTHINK online portal lets you upload documents and track your status in real time.

Processing takes roughly 30 to 45 days. You’ll get a written decision by mail stating your benefit amount or, if denied, the specific reasons. Missing documents are the top cause of delays, and since benefits are only available once per fiscal year, it’s worth getting the first submission right.

If a Shutoff Is Coming

Several Maryland rules can keep the lights on while your application is in motion or if money is simply short.

Cold Weather Rule

From November 1 through March 31, no utility can disconnect your service on any day when the 6 a.m. forecast shows temperatures at or below 32°F in your area within the next 72 hours.⁹ This is tied to the forecast, not the calendar. If temperatures stay above freezing, shutoffs can still happen in those months.

Utility Service Protection Program

USPP is open to residents who qualify for energy assistance. It places you on an equal monthly payment plan that spreads annual energy costs into predictable installments, blocking disconnection as long as you keep up.¹⁰ Miss two consecutive payments and the utility can remove you from the program and start disconnection, though it has to send at least one warning notice first.¹¹

Medical Certification

If someone in your household has a serious medical condition, ask your utility for a Medical Certification Form. Requesting it pauses disconnection for 30 days. Within that window, a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant has to sign it, and you need to arrange a payment plan with the utility.¹² The utility must know about the condition before service is terminated. A certificate submitted after the fact won’t restore the same protections.

Lowering the Bill Itself: Weatherization

The Weatherization Assistance Program, administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, sends trained technicians to perform an energy audit and then make improvements at no cost to the resident.¹³ Typical work includes sealing air leaks around doors, windows, and pipes; adding or upgrading insulation; repairing or replacing furnaces and water heaters; upgrading lighting; and addressing health and safety issues tied to energy systems.

Income eligibility is based on 60% of the state median income, which for a family of four in Maryland is $92,470 for 2026. Already approved for MEAP, SNAP, TANF, SSI, or HUD housing assistance? You’re automatically income-eligible for weatherization and don’t need to verify income separately.¹³ Priority goes to households with members over 60, people with disabilities, families with children, and homes with unusually high energy use.

If You’re Denied

You have the right to request a fair hearing if your application is denied in full or in part, if the agency fails to act within a reasonable time, or if your benefits are reduced or terminated. The request must be made within 30 calendar days of the date on your denial notice.¹⁴

Telling any agency employee that you disagree is enough to start the process; if you make the request verbally, the office has to help you fill out the written form. The local office must offer a pre-hearing conference to try to settle the issue, and if that doesn’t resolve it, the matter goes to the Office of Administrative Hearings.¹⁴ When the denial is just a missing document, resubmitting with the correct paperwork is usually faster than a formal appeal.

1
Maryland Department of Human Services. Office of Home Energy Programs
2
Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 07.03.21 – Chapter 21 Maryland Energy Assistance Program
3
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Public Utilities Code 7-512.1 – Universal Service Program
4
Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Public Service Commission of Maryland Electric Universal Service Program Report
5
Code of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 07.03.21.03 – Eligibility for Assistance
6
Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Report on the Status of Implementation of Categorical Eligibility
7
Maryland Department of Human Services. Office of Home Energy Programs – Energy Assistance Application
8
Maryland Department of Human Services. Local Home Energy Program Office
9
Maryland Office of People’s Counsel. Can Your Utility Service Be Shut Off in Cold Weather
10
Cornell Law Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 20.31.01.02 – Definitions
11
Code of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 20.31.05.07 – Terminations of Service
12
Maryland Office of People’s Counsel. Medical Certification
13
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Weatherization Assistance Program
14
Maryland Department of Human Services. OHEP Operations Manual