New York’s Home Energy Assistance Program, known as NYS HEAP, helps low-income households pay for heating fuel, utility bills, emergency fuel deliveries, and summer cooling equipment. Benefits are paid directly to your utility company or fuel vendor, not to you, and the amount depends on your heating source, income, and household size. For the 2025–2026 season, a four-person household qualifies with a gross monthly income at or below $6,680.1The State of New York. Apply for Heating Assistance (HEAP)
Do You Qualify
You qualify if your household’s total gross monthly income is at or below the state limit for your household size, you live in New York, and you are a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen.2Legal Information Institute. New York Codes, Rules and Regulations Title 18 393.4 – Eligibility Income is counted gross, before taxes and deductions, for everyone living in your home as a single economic unit, measured for the calendar month you apply.
If anyone in your household already receives SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI Living Alone), you skip the income test entirely and qualify automatically.2Legal Information Institute. New York Codes, Rules and Regulations Title 18 393.4 – Eligibility
2025–2026 Gross Monthly Income Limits
- 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
Households that include a child under age six, an adult age 60 or older, or a person with a permanent disability are classified as “vulnerable.” Vulnerable status adds $35 to your Regular HEAP benefit and raises the Emergency HEAP liquid-resource limit from $2,500 to $3,750.1The State of New York. Apply for Heating Assistance (HEAP)
Living Situations That Disqualify You
Income aside, some living situations make you ineligible. You cannot receive HEAP if you live in a car or RV, are temporarily housed in a hotel or motel, live in a dormitory or congregate care facility, or occupy military housing with no utility bills. If you pay for room and board only, with no separate heating costs, you also do not qualify.2Legal Information Institute. New York Codes, Rules and Regulations Title 18 393.4 – Eligibility
What Regular HEAP Pays
Regular HEAP is a one-time annual payment applied to your winter heating costs. The amount depends on how you heat your home and whether you pay the heating bill directly or through rent. For 2025–2026, the base benefit amounts are:1The State of New York. Apply for Heating Assistance (HEAP)
- Oil, kerosene, or propane (direct payment): $900
- Wood, pellets, coal, or corn (direct payment): $635
- Electricity or natural gas (direct payment): $400
- Heat included in rent: $45 or $50
- Subsidized housing with heat included: $21
Two add-ons can increase that base. A $61 bump applies if your income falls within the lowest tier (Tier 1), and a $35 bump applies if your household includes a vulnerable member. Both can stack.
Emergency HEAP for Shut-Offs and Fuel-Outs
Emergency HEAP covers heating crises that need immediate action. You may qualify if your gas or electric heat has been shut off or is scheduled for disconnection, the electricity that powers your furnace or thermostat is shut off or scheduled to be, you are out of fuel or have less than a quarter-tank of oil, kerosene, or propane, or you have less than a ten-day supply of wood, pellets, or coal.1The State of New York. Apply for Heating Assistance (HEAP)
You still have to meet the Regular HEAP income limits (or receive SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or SSI Code A). The heating bill must be in your name, and your household’s liquid resources must be below $2,500, or below $3,750 if someone in the household is 60 or older or under six.
Emergency benefit amounts for 2025–2026:
- Oil, kerosene, or propane: $900
- Wood, pellets, coal, or corn: $635
- Electric heat combined with heat-related domestic service: $585
- Natural gas combined with heat-related domestic service: $585
- Natural gas heat only: $400
- Heat-related domestic only (electricity needed for heating equipment): $185
Emergency HEAP opened January 2, 2026 for the current season, and no second emergency benefit period is planned.
Summer Cooling Assistance
HEAP’s Cooling Assistance component pays for a window air conditioner, portable AC unit, or fan: up to $800 for a window or portable unit and up to $1,000 to replace an existing wall-sleeve air conditioner.3ACCESS NYC. Cooling Assistance Benefit
Eligibility is tighter than Regular HEAP. Your household must include someone with a documented medical condition made worse by extreme heat, someone age 60 or older, or a child under six. You also must currently lack a working air conditioner (or have one at least five years old) and must not have received a HEAP-funded unit in the past five years. A doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner has to verify any medical condition in writing; no medical documentation is needed if the household qualifies on age alone. Cooling Assistance is anticipated to open April 15, 2026 and close around June 22, 2026.
Equipment Repairs Are Not Funded This Season
Two related components, Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement (HERR) and Clean and Tune, are not funded every program year. HERR normally covers up to $4,000 for repairs and up to $8,000 for a full replacement of a broken or unsafe furnace or boiler.4The State of New York. Apply for Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement Clean and Tune covers up to $500 for professional furnace cleaning and minor maintenance.5Human Resources Administration. Energy Assistance Neither opened for the 2025–2026 season. Contact your local Department of Social Services for updates in future years.
How to Apply
Gather documents for everyone in your household before starting:
- Social Security numbers for all household members
- A lease, rent receipt, or mortgage statement showing your current address
- A utility bill or fuel delivery receipt showing your account number and vendor name
- Pay stubs, Social Security award letters, pension statements, or other proof of gross income for the four weeks before you apply
The official form is the LDSS-3421, available at local Department of Social Services offices and online when the program is open. Submission depends on where you live. Residents outside New York City apply online at myBenefits.ny.gov. NYC residents use the ACCESS HRA portal or visit a local HRA office in person. Anyone can also mail a signed LDSS-3421 to their local Department of Social Services.
After You Apply
Your local district has 30 business days from receiving your application to make a decision and mail you a written notice.1The State of New York. Apply for Heating Assistance (HEAP) If approved, the payment goes straight to your utility company or fuel vendor, and the credit usually appears on your next billing statement. You will not receive a check yourself.
If you are denied, the notice will explain why and tell you how to request a free fair hearing through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to challenge the decision.
Key Dates for 2025–2026
Regular HEAP opened December 1, 2025. Emergency HEAP opened January 2, 2026. Cooling Assistance is expected to open April 15, 2026 and close around June 22, 2026. HERR and Clean and Tune are not available this season. Apply early: once funding runs out, the program closes regardless of the posted end date.