WHEAP Energy Assistance: Eligibility, Coverage, and How to Apply

Wisconsin households at or below 60% of the state median income can apply for WHEAP energy assistance eligibility and how to apply any time from October 1 through May 15, either online at energybenefit.wi.gov, by phone at 1-866-HEATWIS (1-866-432-8947), or through the county agency that serves your area. The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program issues a one-time heating payment during that window, usually sent straight to your fuel supplier as a credit on your account.¹

Funding is finite. When the program-year money runs out, no more benefits are issued, so applying close to October 1 matters even if you qualify easily on paper.¹

Who Qualifies in 2025–2026

Eligibility is based on your household’s gross income for the single calendar month before the month you apply. Gross means everything coming in before taxes or deductions: wages, Social Security, unemployment, pensions, child support, and self-employment earnings all count.²

For the program year running October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, the annual income limits are:¹

1 person: $38,421
2 persons: $50,243
3 persons: $62,065
4 persons: $73,888
5 persons: $85,710
6 persons: $97,532
7 persons: $99,748
8 persons: $101,965

Renters qualify alongside homeowners as long as you are responsible for paying your own energy costs. If heat is included in your rent, you can still apply when your total rent takes up more than a set share of your income. Households where every member already receives Supplemental Security Income, TANF, or certain other public benefits are categorically eligible regardless of the exact income figure.³

What WHEAP Pays For

The main benefit is a one-time heating assistance payment during the October 1 to May 15 heating season, sent directly to your natural gas company, propane dealer, or fuel oil provider.⁴ Renters whose heat is bundled into their rent may receive a direct payment instead.

A separate electric assistance payment, funded through Wisconsin’s Public Benefits program, helps cover non-heating electricity use like lighting and appliances. It is typically credited to your electric utility account.¹

If you are already in trouble — a disconnection notice from your utility, dangerously low bulk fuel, or a furnace that has failed — crisis assistance is available on top of the regular heating payment, with the state setting which situations qualify and how much is paid.⁵³ Emergency furnace repair or replacement for eligible homeowners falls under this piece as well.

What to Gather Before You Apply

Having your paperwork ready in one sitting saves days of back-and-forth with the agency. Pull together:

Social Security number and date of birth for every person living in the home.²
Proof of income for every source during the full calendar month before the month you apply — pay stubs, benefit award letters, pension statements, child support records, or tax documents.²
A recent utility bill or account number for each energy provider, so the credit lands on the right account.
Records of your actual annual heating costs if you have them.

That last item changes your check. WHEAP calculates benefits using your income, household size, fuel type, dwelling size, and actual energy costs. Without your real usage, the agency falls back on a proxy fuel table set at 75% of average costs for your dwelling and fuel type, and the resulting payment is almost always smaller. The minimum benefit issued is $30; anything below that is not paid out at all.⁶

How to Apply

You have three ways to file:

Online through the Home Energy Plus portal at energybenefit.wi.gov, which also connects you to related programs.⁴
By phone at 1-866-HEATWIS (1-866-432-8947), which can also route you to your local agency.¹
By mail or in person at the local agency serving your county. Your county human services department can hand you the paper form and point you to the right office.

Applications are accepted October 1 through May 15.³ The Home Energy Plus application form is authorized under Wis. Stat. § 16.27(2)(a).²

After You Apply

Your local agency has up to 45 days to approve or deny the application.⁷ An approved heating benefit goes to your fuel supplier as a credit, electric benefits are credited to your electric utility, and renters with heat included in rent may receive a direct check if they meet the state’s criteria.

If you are denied, you can request a rehearing in writing from the Division of Hearings and Appeals within 20 days of the decision. The request needs to identify the factual or legal error you believe the agency made, or describe new evidence you did not have the first time. If the rehearing is denied, you have 30 days to appeal to Circuit Court. Income documentation that does not accurately reflect your situation is the usual sticking point, and you can also reapply with better records during the same heating season.

Winter Disconnection Protection While You Wait

Separate from WHEAP, Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission rules generally bar utilities from disconnecting residential heating service for nonpayment between November 1 and April 15. The protection covers any service that provides or affects your home’s primary heat source.⁸

The moratorium is not absolute. A utility can still disconnect households whose gross quarterly income exceeds 250% of federal poverty guidelines, provided the shutoff would not endanger someone’s health or safety because of age, disability, or very young children in the home.⁸ Anyone WHEAP-eligible sits well within the income protections. The moratorium only delays disconnection, though; it does not erase the debt. Filing for WHEAP crisis assistance while the moratorium is in effect gives you a window to get a credit on your account before April 15.

1
Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources. Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program
2
Wisconsin Department of Administration. Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program Application
3
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 16.27 – Low-Income Energy Assistance
4
Home Energy +. Home Energy Plus Application
5
Wood County Human Services. Energy Assistance
6
Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources. Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program Manual Program Year 2026
7
Wisconsin State Legislature. Department of Administration’s Energy Services
8
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Administrative Code PSC 113.0304