Utah HEAT Program: Eligibility, 2026 Income Limits, and How to Apply

The Utah HEAT program pays part of your heating or cooling bill directly to your utility company if your household’s gross income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. HEAT stands for Home Energy Assistance Target, and it is Utah’s version of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, administered by the Department of Workforce Services. The program year runs October 1 through September 30, or until federal funds run out, whichever comes first.¹

Who Qualifies

Three conditions have to be met:

Total gross household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
Your household is responsible for paying its own home energy costs, either directly or through rent.
At least one household member is a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen.

Everyone living in the home must be listed on the application, even if not every person qualifies individually.²

2026 Income Limits

For federal fiscal year 2026, the annual gross income caps by household size are:³

1 person: $23,475
2 people: $31,725
3 people: $39,975
4 people: $48,225
5 people: $56,475
6 people: $64,725
7 people: $72,975
8 people: $81,225

Add $8,250 for each additional person beyond eight. Divide the annual figure by 12 to get your monthly cap; a family of four, for instance, needs gross monthly income below roughly $4,019.

When to Apply

Priority households can apply starting October 1. That group covers homes with someone aged 60 or older, a person with a disability, or a child under six.¹ Everyone else can apply beginning November 1. Both windows stay open through September 30 or until the money runs out.

Timing matters. Benefits are first-come, first-served, so waiting until spring to apply often means the funding is gone. Apply as soon as your window opens.

Documents to Gather

Have these ready before you start:

A government-issued photo ID for the primary applicant.
Social Security cards for every household member, including children.⁴
Proof of all income received in the previous month by every household member: pay stubs, Social Security statements, child support records, or similar.
Recent utility bills for electric, gas, and any other heating or cooling source, showing the account number and current balance.

If you are self-employed, the preferred proof is your prior year’s IRS 1040 Schedule 1, which the agency uses to estimate a monthly figure. A Self-Employment Income Worksheet is available if you don’t have a filed return.⁵

How to Apply

The easiest route is online at jobs.utah.gov/heat, which routes you to the myCase portal where you can upload documents and submit everything electronically.¹ You can also download the paper application from the same site and take it or mail it to your local HEAT office. The Workforce Services website lists local offices by county.

On the application you choose which utility vendor gets the payment. You can send 100 percent to one vendor or split the benefit between two (50/50 or 25/75). That choice locks in when you submit. You cannot change the vendor or the split later.⁶

Do not use the standard application if you already have a shut-off notice. Call your local HEAT office directly and ask about a crisis application instead.

After You Apply

Processing generally takes six to eight weeks from the date a complete application is received.⁷ You will get a decision letter by mail. If approved, the letter states your benefit amount and the utility vendor that will receive the credit.

If you are denied, or the local office has not acted on your application within 45 days, you have the right to request a fair hearing.⁴ The denial letter explains the reason. You can also reapply if your circumstances change.

How the Benefit Is Paid

HEAT does not send cash or a check. The payment goes straight to your utility company, and the credit lands on your account with providers like Dominion Energy or Rocky Mountain Power, reducing your balance or building a cushion against upcoming bills.⁴ Each household gets one benefit per program year, and approval does not roll over. You have to reapply annually.⁶

Crisis Help for Shut-Offs and Broken Equipment

The six-to-eight-week timeline does not work for an emergency. HEAT crisis assistance is expedited and is available when your household has a 48-hour shut-off notice, is within 10 percent of running out of a deliverable fuel like propane, or has already been disconnected due to a sudden event beyond your control.⁸ Contact your local HEAT office directly and complete a crisis application.¹ For propane, you indicate whether the tank is full, empty, or within 48 hours of running out. For electric or gas, include a copy of the shut-off notice.⁶ Crisis funding is separate from the standard one-time benefit.

Broken heating or cooling equipment is handled through the same local offices, year round. To qualify for equipment repair or replacement, your income must fall within the 150 percent of poverty threshold, and your household must include at least one person who is disabled, a child under six, or someone aged 60 or older.⁹ Water heater failures also qualify.

Winter Shut-Off Moratorium

Utah bars utility companies from disconnecting eligible households between November 15 and March 15, and the window can be extended in severe weather. This is not the same thing as the HEAT benefit, and HEAT approval alone is not enough. To qualify for the moratorium you also need one of the following: household income below 125 percent of the federal poverty level, a recent medical emergency, job loss, or a 50 percent drop in income. You must make a good-faith monthly payment of at least 5 percent of gross income (10 percent if your home is heated by electricity), with a $5 minimum even when income is zero, and you must have applied for help through the Salvation Army.¹⁰ Miss the payments and the protection lapses.

Weatherization for Long-Term Savings

If high bills are a year-after-year problem, Utah’s Weatherization Assistance Program pays for efficiency improvements to your home at no cost. The income cap is higher than HEAT: up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Priority goes to elderly and disabled residents, households with young children, homes with high energy use, and emergencies.¹¹ After you apply through the agency serving your county, an energy auditor inspects your home and recommends specific improvements ranked by cost-effectiveness. Work is verified by a separate inspector.¹² You can receive weatherization and HEAT in the same year.

1
Utah Department of Workforce Services. Home Energy Assistance Target
2
Administration for Children and Families. LIHEAP IM HHS Guidance on the Use of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and Citizenship Status Verification
3
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. Federal Poverty Guidelines for FFY
4
Utah Department of Workforce Services. State of Utah Department of Workforce Services HEAT Program/HELP/EAF Instructions
5
Utah Department of Workforce Services. HEAT Program Policy Manual
6
Daggett County. Home Energy Assistance Target (HEAT) Program
7
Utah Community Action. HEAT Utility Assistance
8
Mountainland Association of Governments. HEAT Program
9
Mountainland Association of Governments. Weatherization Assistance
10
Legal Information Institute. Utah Admin Code R982-408-1 – Moratorium
11
Utah Department of Workforce Services. Weatherization Assistance Program
12
Department of Energy. How to Apply for Weatherization Assistance