Massachusetts Fuel Assistance: Income Limits and How to Apply

Massachusetts fuel assistance, formally the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), helps income-eligible households pay a portion of their winter heating bills. For the 2025–2026 season, a one-person household earning up to $51,777 can qualify, and a family of four can earn up to $99,573.¹ Applications open October 1, benefits cover heating costs from November 1 through April 30, and the payment goes straight to your heating vendor rather than to you.

Income Limits for the 2025–2026 Season

Eligibility is set at 60 percent of the estimated state median income, scaled by household size.² The FY 2026 limits are:

1 person: $51,777
2 people: $67,709
3 people: $83,641
4 people: $99,573
5 people: $115,504
6 people: $131,436
7 people: $134,423

These ceilings are higher than many people assume, which is one reason households that would qualify never apply.

What Counts as a Household and What Counts as Income

A household is everyone sharing a home and purchasing energy together. Homeowners and renters are both eligible, including renters whose heat is included in rent.³ Apartments, condos, single-family homes, and mobile homes all qualify as long as the address is your primary residence and you’re responsible for heating costs.

Income means every dollar coming into the household: wages, Social Security, pensions, unemployment, disability payments, and investment income. Every adult’s income counts, no matter who actually pays the heating bill.²

Non-Citizens and Mixed-Status Households

You don’t have to be a U.S. citizen, but you do have to be a “qualified non-citizen” under federal law. That category covers green card holders, refugees, asylees, and people paroled into the U.S. for at least one year.⁴ Undocumented individuals are not eligible.

If your household mixes eligible and ineligible members, the eligible members can still receive a prorated benefit. The agency counts only the eligible members when calculating the payment, but it looks at everyone’s income when testing eligibility. Services that can’t be divided, like emergency heating repair, may be provided in full.⁴ Receiving LIHEAP does not count against you in a public charge immigration determination; USCIS has explicitly excluded energy assistance from the benefits it considers.⁵

Subsidized Housing and Section 8

If you live in subsidized housing or use a Section 8 voucher, you can still apply, but your benefit will land in a lower tier than a homeowner or market-rate renter would receive. The FY 2026 benefit matrix treats subsidized tenants as a separate category.⁶ Even if heat is included in your subsidized rent and you don’t pay a utility directly, you may still qualify at the lowest tier, with the state factoring in any utility allowance tied to your housing subsidy.⁷ If you’re unsure, call your local HEAP agency before writing yourself off.

Documents to Gather Before You Apply

Having your paperwork ready is the single biggest predictor of how quickly your application clears.

Identity. A Social Security number for every household member age 18 or older, plus a government-issued photo ID for the primary applicant. If someone has no SSN, ask the local agency about alternative identification.¹

Income for the last 30 days, for every adult:

Wages: last four weekly pay stubs, or last two if paid biweekly
Unemployment: UI Online benefit summary and payment history
Social Security, SSI, or SSDI: current benefit letter or most recent SSA-1099
Pensions: current letter or stub showing the gross amount
Self-employment: most recent certified tax return, or an IRS tax transcript (request by calling 800-829-1040) if you prepared the return yourself
No income: a self-declaration form explaining how basic expenses are covered

Heating and housing. A recent heating bill showing your account number and service address. If you heat with oil or propane, the delivery company must have a contract with your local HEAP agency. Renters need a signed lease or a landlord statement confirming whether heat is included in rent.

How to Apply

You can apply three ways: online through the Massachusetts LIHEAP portal, in person at the HEAP agency serving your area, or by mail.³ The online system lets you upload documents and gives you a tracking number. If you want help, book an appointment at your local Community Action Agency; staff there process these applications daily.

Expect some patience once you’ve submitted. The agency has 25 business days to notify you about any missing documents, and 45 business days after your file is complete to mail a determination letter. During peak season the initial review alone can run six to eight weeks from November 1, so an October submission can mean benefits active before the deepest cold arrives, while a January application may not clear until March.

If your application is denied, the denial notice explains the appeal process and deadline. Lost the notice? Call your local HEAP agency.

If You Received Benefits Last Year

Returning households don’t start from scratch. Massachusetts mails application materials each fall, and you can renew online, in person, or by mail.⁸ You still have to reapply every year with updated income documentation; benefits don’t roll over automatically.

What You’ll Receive

Benefits depend on household size, income level, fuel type, and whether you live in subsidized housing. Totals shift each year with the federal funding Massachusetts receives.¹ For FY 2026, base benefits for homeowners and unsubsidized renters run $355 to $600 per season, with the top amounts going to the lowest-income households heating with oil or propane. Subsidized tenants receive $250 to $420 per season. A High Energy Cost Supplement may add to those figures; the current season’s supplement level hasn’t been finalized.⁶

You won’t receive a check. The payment goes directly to your utility or fuel dealer as a credit on your account, which keeps the funds tied to heating and helps prevent service interruptions.⁹

The Utility Discount That Comes With Approval

HEAP approval also automatically qualifies you for a discounted rate on your electric and gas bills from investor-owned utilities, and that discount runs year-round.¹ The tiers are based on income and household size. At National Grid, for example, they range from 32 percent for households near the income ceiling to 71 percent for the lowest-income households.¹⁰ For many families the annual savings from the discount rate exceed the heating grant itself. If the grant alone seemed too small to bother with, the discount rate changes the math.

Dates to Remember

October 1: Online applications open; returning households receive materials by mail.⁸
November 1: Heating season begins and formal review of applications starts.
November 15 to March 15: Winter shutoff moratorium for gas and electric customers in financial hardship, often extended through April 1. This protection covers regulated gas and electric utilities only; oil, propane, and wood suppliers aren’t bound by it, which makes HEAP particularly important if you heat with a deliverable fuel.¹¹
April 30: Last day to submit or postmark your application for the current heating season.¹

Applications are processed in the order received. If you think you’re eligible, don’t wait for the first big heating bill to start.

1
Mass.gov. Learn About Home Energy Assistance – HEAP
2
Mass.gov. Learn About Home Energy Assistance – HEAP – Section: Program Eligibility Information
3
Mass.gov. Apply for Home Heating and Energy Assistance
4
Administration for Children and Families. LIHEAP Assistance for Eligible Household Members Residing with Ineligible Household Members
5
USCIS. Public Charge Resources
6
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fiscal Year 2026 Home Energy Assistance Program HEAP Income Eligibility and Benefit Levels
7
LIHEAP Clearinghouse. Subsidized Housing and LIHEAP
8
Mass.gov. Home Energy Assistance
9
Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Home Energy Assistance Program HEAP Payments
10
National Grid. Tiered Discount Rates
11
Mass.gov. When Am I Protected from Having My Utilities Shut Off