HEAP 2026-2027 Season

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) program is open and accepting applications! NYC residents can apply via ACCESS HRA, call 718-557-1399, or visit a local HEAP field office (click here for locations).

Cash Assistance, SNAP, and SSI live alone recipients are automatically eligible for HEAP and will not need to prove eligibility because they are in receipt of another needs-based benefit.

HEAP (known as “regular HEAP”) provides assistance to low-income households to help pay for energy expenses. HEAP benefits are either sent as a direct payment to the household’s heating/utility vendor, or as a one-time cash benefit sent directly to the household on an EBT card.

To be eligible for HEAP, households must meet citizenship/immigration status and income criteria. Assets are not an eligibility criterion for HEAP.

Benefit Amount

The amount of a household’s HEAP benefit will depend in part on whether they are classified as a “heater household” or a “non-heater household.”

Heater Households

Households that pay a vendor directly for heating are known as “heater households.” Click here for the base benefit amounts; the amount differs based on the source of heating. These households may be eligible for “add-on” benefits to the base amount as follows:

• Income below 130% FPL: An extra $61 is added to the base benefit.

• Vulnerable Individual: An extra $35 can be added on if the household contains a “vulnerable individual:”   

  • Children under six years old. This rule includes children whose 6th birthday falls within the month of application.

  • An older adult (age 60+) and individuals with disabilities (SNAP’s definition of disability).

Non-Heater Households

In NYC, households that pay for heat as part of their rent or mortgage are known as “non-heater households.” The benefit amount depends on the household income and type of housing the applicant is residing in; there are no additional “add-ons” to these amounts. Click here for the base benefit amounts.