How New Jersey's LIHEAP program works — a guide to getting help with heating and cooling bills
Heating a home through a New Jersey winter is expensive, and for families living on a low income it is often the bill that is hardest to keep up with. LIHEAP is the program the state runs to help with that exact cost. You may also see it called the Home Energy Assistance Program, which is New Jersey's name for it.
What follows is a plain explanation of the help it offers, who can qualify, and how to apply — including a couple of parts people often overlook, like ongoing monthly credits on your bill and free improvements to your home (from weatherization) that lower what you pay down the road. For more ways to get help with a utility bill, see our page on New Jersey utility company assistance programs.
- SCAM WARNING: Because so many people apply for this help, scammers try to take advantage of it. A common trick is a call, text, or email that claims to come from the state or your local agency, says your LIHEAP application needs attention or your grant is ready, and then sends you to a website or asks for your Social Security number, your bank account, or a payment to "release" the money. That is not how the program works. Applying is free.
The help LIHEAP gives you with heating
The main thing LIHEAP does is put money toward your heating bill. The grant is applied straight to your account with the utility or fuel company, so it lowers what you owe whether you heat with natural gas, electricity, oil, or propane.
You do not have to be behind on the bill to receive this. Many families apply while they are still keeping up, simply to make a heavy winter bill easier to handle.
Help with cooling and with emergencies
LIHEAP is built around heating, but it can reach further. If a person in your home has a health condition that requires air conditioning, the program can help pay for cooling in the summer.
There is also help for a true emergency. If your heat has already been shut off, or you have run out of fuel in cold weather, this part of the program can act faster to get your service restored or your tank refilled.
One application, three kinds of assistance
Filling out New Jersey's energy assistance application does more than apply for LIHEAP. The same form also signs you up for the Universal Service Fund, a separate program that takes a set amount off your gas and electric bill every month. That is ongoing help, not a one-time grant.
The same application puts you in line for free weatherization too, which is covered further down. So one application can lead to three kinds of help at once. New Jersey accepts these applications online through its DCAid portal, and a local community action agency will complete it with you if you would rather not do it alone.
Who can qualify for LIHEAP
Whether you qualify comes down mostly to two things: how much your household earns and how many people live in your home. Larger households are allowed a higher income limit, and the state sets new limits each year.
You do not have to guess at it. The application website has a short screener that tells you whether you are likely to qualify before you fill anything out.
Renters are eligible too. Even if heating is built into your rent, you can still qualify, as long as you are the one responsible for paying those heating costs. There is one exception to know about: if you live in public housing or receive rental help such as a Section 8 voucher, you usually qualify only when you pay the heating or cooling company directly yourself.
Free weatherization to make future bills smaller
Paying down one bill helps for a month. Weatherization helps for years, because it lowers how much energy your home needs in the first place. Through New Jersey's Weatherization Assistance Program, a trained crew comes to your home at no cost. They start by finding where heat and energy are escaping, then make the repairs that fix it.
That work can include sealing drafts around doors and windows, adding insulation in the attic and walls, insulating the water heater and pipes, installing energy-saving light bulbs, and servicing or repairing your heating system so it runs safely and burns less fuel.
The improvements are free for households that qualify, and seniors, people with disabilities, and families with young children are moved to the front of the line. You apply for it with the same form you use for LIHEAP.
Protection from shut-offs in winter
Once you are enrolled in LIHEAP or the Universal Service Fund, New Jersey's rules protect you from having your gas or electric shut off during the coldest months of the year. So getting your application in does two things at once: it lowers a bill, and it helps keep your service on through the winter.
How and where to apply
You can apply online during the season at https://dcaid.dca.nj.gov/en-US/. If you would rather have someone help you, call 2-1-1 or the state energy assistance hotline at 1-800-510-3102, and they will point you to the community action agency or social service office closest to you, where the help is free.
The season opens in the fall and runs into the following summer. The money is given out first-come, first-served until it is gone, so applying early gives you the best chance of receiving help.
Before you apply, it helps to have a few things ready: your most recent heating and electric bills, proof of income for everyone in the home age 18 and older, and your lease or another proof of address. Having those on hand makes the process go faster.
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