New York's HEAP program pays heating bills, repairs furnaces, and connects to free weatherization
HEAP is New York's name for the federal LIHEAP program, and it runs on a calendar. The Home Energy Assistance Program opens in the fall, pays benefits through the winter, and each part of it closes when its funding runs out, which some years happens early. The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, known as OTDA, oversees it, while your county Department of Social Services handles applications, with the Human Resources Administration doing that job in New York City.
This page explains each piece: the regular heating benefit, the emergency benefit that stops a shutoff or an empty fuel tank, the furnace repair and clean-and-tune components, the summer cooling benefit, and the free weatherization program that cuts bills for good. Renters and homeowners can qualify for nearly all of it and for other options on paying a bill, see the New York utility assistance program page.
- SCAM WARNING: HEAP benefits never go to your bank or card - they’re sent directly to your utility or fuel supplier - so any caller or text claiming a grant is “waiting to be released” if you provide your Social Security number or card details is running a scam. Real applications only go through mybenefits.ny.gov or your local district office, and anyone else asking for fees or account numbers is after your identity, not your paperwork.
The regular benefit pays toward the cost of heating your home
Eligible households get one regular HEAP benefit per program year, and the money goes directly to whoever supplies your primary heat, whether that is a utility company, an oil or propane dealer, or a wood or pellet seller. Every heat source counts, including natural gas, electricity, oil, kerosene, propane, coal, wood, wood pellets, and even corn. The benefit amount depends on household size, income, how you heat, and whether the home includes someone elderly, a young child, or a person with a disability, with a larger amount for households in the lowest income tier.
Some New Yorkers never have to apply at all. Households receiving SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or SSI as a single-person living-alone case are often issued the regular benefit automatically, sent directly to their heat supplier. If you receive one of those benefits, watch your mail in the fall before spending time on an application you may not need.
The emergency benefit exists for extreme situations
Emergency HEAP is for a genuine heating crisis: your gas or electric heat is off or scheduled for shutoff, your electricity is about to be cut and your heating system cannot run without it, or your deliverable fuel is nearly gone, meaning under a quarter tank of oil, kerosene, or propane, or less than about a ten-day supply of wood, pellets, or another delivered source. Emergencies cannot be filed online. Call or visit your local district office, and do it before the electric is off or the tank is empty rather than after, because approval and delivery both take time.
Who qualifies
Eligibility runs on gross monthly income measured against a household-size chart the state updates each year, set at a level tied to the state's median income. There is no savings or asset test for the regular benefit, so money in the bank does not disqualify you. Households receiving SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or qualifying SSI are income-eligible automatically. At least one member must be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen, and the application asks for Social Security numbers for the household. Renters qualify, including renters whose heat is included in the rent. Current income limits and county contacts are posted on the OTDA HEAP page at https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/.
Four ways to apply, and a shortcut for seniors
When the season is open you can apply online at https://mybenefits.ny.gov/mybenefits/begin, apply in person or by phone through your county's HEAP office, or mail the paper application. New York City residents apply through HRA, which has its own HEAP mailing address and a dedicated phone line at 718-557-1399. In many counties, people 60 and older can skip the social services office entirely and apply through their county Office for the Aging, which is often faster and calmer. For any question the season throws at you, the OTDA hotline is 1-800-342-3009.
Broken furnaces have their own benefits
Homeowners can apply for the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit, called HERR, when the home's primary heating system is dead or unsafe. It requires owning and living in the home for the year before applying, an eligibility interview, and a resource review, and its funding varies more than the other components, with some seasons tighter than others. A separate clean-and-tune benefit pays for servicing a working system so it does not become a HERR case later. Both run through your local district, not through contractors who approach you.
Cooling help exists, but it is its own program
HEAP also runs a summer component that provides an air conditioner or fan, aimed at households with a member whose health is at risk in the heat and households with a senior or young child. It opens in the spring, and the money disappears fast. Because it generally requires having received a regular HEAP benefit that same program year, the winter application quietly decides your summer options. The full rules, timing, and application details are on our New York cooling assistance page.
Weatherization makes every future utility bill smaller
New York's Weatherization Assistance Program is run by a different agency, NYS Homes and Community Renewal (website: https://hcr.ny.gov/weatherization), through local provider organizations in every county. Crews audit the home, then do the work the audit calls for: air sealing, attic and wall insulation, heating system repairs or replacement, hot water tank and pipe insulation, lighting upgrades, and in some cases replacement of an old refrigerator with an efficient one. A final inspection checks the quality. Everything is free to the occupant, with no lien on the home; owners of rental buildings contribute toward the cost.
The income limit matches the HEAP guidelines, and any household with a member receiving HEAP, SNAP, SSI, or Public Assistance is automatically eligible. Renters can be served with the owner's cooperation, and whole apartment buildings can be weatherized. New York now uses a joint application that screens you for both this program and NYSERDA's EmPower+ improvements at once, so one form can put two sets of free upgrades in motion. Start with the provider list at HCR's weatherization page, and see our guide to other help with utility bills in New York for what to pair it with.
One scam note before you apply
HEAP money never touches your hands; it goes from the state to your utility or fuel supplier. That single fact defeats the most common HEAP scam, where a caller or text claims a grant is approved and waiting, and only your Social Security number or debit card details are needed to release it. Nobody legitimate releases a HEAP benefit to a bank card, and the program never charges a fee to apply or to speed things up. Applications belong only at mybenefits.ny.gov, your local district office, or the Office for the Aging. Anyone else asking is collecting your identity, not your paperwork.
This page is information about New York's HEAP and weatherization programs, not legal or financial advice. Income limits, component openings, and funding are reset every program year, so confirm the current details with OTDA or your local HEAP office before applying.
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