Home Energy Assistance

• Eligibility and benefits depend on:
  • Income
  • Household size
  • Primary heating source 
  • The presence of a household member who is under 6, age 60 or older or permanently disabled.

• Applicants do not need a disconnect notice to be eligible.

• Your household may be eligible if:
  • A member of your household is a United States Citizen or Qualified Non-Citizen
  • Your household's gross monthly income is at or below the current income guides for your household size, or
    • You receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or
    • You receive Temporary Assistance (TA), or
    • You receive Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI Living Alone)

• Read more from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

• You may be eligible if:
  • Your electricity is necessary for your heating system to work and is either shut-off or scheduled to be shut off 
  • Your natural gas heat is off or scheduled to be shut-off
  • You are out of, or in danger of running out of fuel (oil, propane, wood, or coal)
  • The essential heating equipment you own doesn't work

• Read more from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

What Is Cooling Assistance?

• Cooling Assistance can pay for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner.
• In circumstances where an air conditioner cannot be safely installed, a fan will be provided.
• Only one air conditioner or fan will be provided per  household.

Am I Eligible?

You may be eligible if:

• Your household's gross monthly income is at or below the current income guidelines for your household size, or
• You receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or
• You receive Temporary Assistance (TA), or
• You receive Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI Living Alone), or
• You received a Regular HEAP benefit greater than $21 in the current program year or received a Regular benefit equal to $21 during the current program year and reside in government subsidized housing with heat included in your rent, and
• Your household contains at least one individual with a documented medical condition that is exacerbated by extreme heat, or
• Your household contains a vulnerable member based on their age (elderly age 60 years or older, or young children under age 6) which meet all other component eligibility criteria, and
• A member of your household is a United States Citizen or qualified alien, and
• You currently do not have a working air conditioner or the air conditioner you have is five years old or older, and
• You did not receive a HEAP funded air conditioner within the past five years.

How Will the Air Conditioner Installed?

• See the online HEAP Participating Vendor List.

Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement can help you repair or replace your furnace, boiler and other direct heating equipment necessary to keep your home's primary heating source working.

An eligibility interview is required for all applications and may be completed in person or by telephone.

To apply, call DSS at (914) 995-3333 or visit one of our District Offices. 

For the 2025-2026 program year, New York State HEAP will not operate the HEAP Heating Equipment Clean and Tune benefit component.

2025-2026 HEAP Monthly Income Limits

For each additional household member above 13, add $687. 

The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs. LIHEAP provides federally funded assistance to reduce the costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, and minor energy-related home repairs.

For information about how LIHEAP might help you pay for you home energy bills and for weatherization and equipment repair, you can visit the online LIHEAP Website Navigator.

Need more help? Call DSS at (914) 995-3333 or or visit one of our District Offices. 

The New York State Weatherization Assistance Program helps income-eligible homeowners and renters reduce heating and cooling costs through energy-conservation measures, while also addressing health and safety issues in their homes.

Eligibility is based on household income relative to federal low-income guidelines. If a household contains a member who receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Public Assistance, or Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) benefits, the household may be considered automatically eligible for weatherization services.

Services may include:

• sealing of cracks and holes to reduce heat loss;
• insulation of attics and walls;
• heating system repairs or replacement;
• providing efficient lighting and refrigeration;
• window and/or outside door repair or replacement;
• minor repairs which are needed to ensure maximum efficiency of the weatherization services performed;
• mitigation of energy-related health and safety issues.

More information is available in this brochure.

Need more help? Call DSS at (914) 995-3333 or visit one of our District Offices. 

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s EmPower+ program provides no-cost energy efficiency solutions to income-eligible New Yorkers.

Whether you own your home or rent, EmPower New York can connect you with a participating contractor to assess if your home would benefit from free energy upgrades such as:

• Home energy assessment to identify areas of possible energy improvements
• Tips on how to save energy
• Installation of high-efficiency lighting
• Attic and wall insulation
• Installation of clean heating and cooling heat pumps
• Replacement of old, inefficient refrigerators and freezers
• Water-saving showerheads
• A monthly electric bill credit of between $5-$15 from community solar.

To find out if you are eligible and to get application and other information, visit the EmPower+ New York Program website.

Need more help?  Call DSS at (914) 995-3333 or or visit one of our District Offices.