The Home Energy Assistance Program in Suffolk County, known as HEAP, helps low-income households cover winter heating costs by sending a payment straight to the utility or fuel vendor on the household’s behalf. It’s run locally by the Suffolk County Department of Social Services using federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance block grant money, and eligibility is set each year by the state.
Who Qualifies
You need to live in Suffolk County, be responsible for your heating cost (either paid directly or built into your rent), and have at least one household member who is a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen such as a lawful permanent resident. Everyone in the household needs a valid Social Security number.
Income is counted as total gross monthly earnings for the whole household, before taxes or deductions. That includes wages, Social Security, pensions, and any other income. For the 2025–2026 program year, a one-person household can earn up to $3,473 per month and a four-person household up to $6,680. The limits rise with household size up to six people ($8,818), with roughly $200 added per additional person after that.1Erie County NY. Regular Benefits – HEAP These ceilings apply statewide and are updated each year by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.2Legal Information Institute. New York Code 18 NYCRR 393.4 – Eligibility
You may qualify automatically if your household already receives Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance, or SNAP. Applications are prioritized when the household includes someone under age eight, someone 60 or older, or a person with a permanent disability.3Legal Information Institute. New York Code 18 NYCRR 393.3 – Application
When to Apply
HEAP runs on a heating-season cycle. The regular benefit for 2025–2026 opened on December 1, 2025. Emergency benefits usually open in January and remain available through mid-March or until the money runs out. Cooling assistance opens separately in late spring or early summer. Because the program is funded by a fixed block grant, every benefit type closes once appropriated funds are exhausted, so applying early in the window matters.
What HEAP Pays For
Suffolk County residents can tap five separate benefits, each with its own rules and funding pool.
Regular Benefit
A one-time payment per heating season, sent directly to your utility company or fuel vendor. Amounts depend on fuel type, income, and household size, and generally range from $21 to $675.4Ontario County, NY. HEAP Households heating with delivered fuels such as oil or propane often receive more than those on natural gas or electric heat.
Emergency Benefit
If your fuel supply will last less than seven calendar days, or your heat-related utility service has been shut off or is scheduled to be disconnected, the emergency benefit can cover an immediate delivery or stop the shutoff.5New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. New York Code 18 NYCRR 393.4 – Eligibility You must have already applied for or received a regular benefit in the same program year. More than one emergency benefit per season is possible, but each requires its own application.
Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement
Homeowners whose furnace, boiler, or other primary heating equipment has failed or become unsafe can apply for HERR. A qualified technician must inspect and document the problem. HERR pays up to $4,000 for a repair and up to $8,000 for a full replacement.6Human Resources Administration. Energy Assistance – HRA Renters are not eligible, since the equipment belongs to the landlord.
Clean and Tune
Covers a professional servicing of your primary heating equipment: cleaning the unit, chimney cleaning, minor repairs, and installing carbon monoxide detectors or programmable thermostats when needed for safe operation. The cap is $500, paid to the service provider.6Human Resources Administration. Energy Assistance – HRA Homeowners only.
Cooling Assistance
A summer benefit for vulnerable households. Someone in the home must be age 60 or older, under six, or have a documented medical condition made worse by extreme heat (verified in writing by a medical provider). You cannot already have a working air conditioner less than five years old, and you cannot have received a HEAP-funded unit in the past five years. The benefit pays up to $800 for a window unit, portable air conditioner, or fan, and up to $1,000 for a unit installed in an existing wall sleeve.7NYC.gov. Cooling Assistance Benefit
Documents to Gather
Missing paperwork is the most common reason applications stall, so pull everything together before you submit.
- Proof of residence: a lease, mortgage statement, rent receipt showing your name and address, or a water, sewer, or tax bill.
- ID for every household member: driver’s license, photo ID, birth certificate, passport, or school records.
- Social Security numbers for everyone in the household.
- Proof of income: pay stubs for the most recent four weeks, Social Security award letters, pension statements, or a filed federal tax return if you’re self-employed.
- A recent utility bill or fuel vendor statement showing your account number and heating source.
The application itself asks for everyone in the household, their relationship to the head of household, all income sources, and how you heat (utility gas or electric, or delivered fuel like oil or propane).8National Grid. Home Energy Assistance Program Double-check your utility account number, because that’s where the payment lands.
How to Apply in Suffolk County
There are four ways to submit. The Department of Social Services asks residents to use mail, fax, or online where possible to cut wait times at service centers, and says all channels are processed at the same speed.9Suffolk County Government. Client Benefits Administration
- Online through the state myBenefits portal at myBenefits.ny.gov, which accepts digital document uploads.10myBenefits. myBenefits
- By mail to PO Box 18100, Hauppauge, NY 11788.
- By fax to (631) 853-8969 or (631) 853-8822.
- In person at any of the four HEAP service centers.
The four Suffolk County service centers are:
- Smithtown Center, 200 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
- Riverhead Center, 605 Old Country Road, Riverhead, NY 11901
- Southwest Center, 2 South 2nd Street, Deer Park, NY 11729
- Coram Center, 80 Middle Country Road, Coram, NY 11727
To have a blank application mailed to you, call (631) 854-9935.9Suffolk County Government. Client Benefits Administration
After You Apply
The Department of Social Services reviews your documents and verifies eligibility, then sends a written notice telling you whether you were approved, the benefit amount, and which vendor the payment will go to. Approved funds go to the utility company or fuel provider rather than to you, and the credit shows up on your account statement.
If you’re denied, or the amount looks wrong, you can request a fair hearing through the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance within 60 days of the denial notice. The hearing is an administrative review where you present your case and documents; it costs nothing and is handled by the state rather than the county office that issued the decision.