New Jersey Households Can Receive Up to $1,278 in LIHEAP Heating Aid This Winter, With the Income Limit for a Family of Four at $98,602

A New Jersey family of four earning as much as $98,602 a year can qualify for help with this winter’s heating bills under a cutoff set at 60% of the state’s median income. The state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, has been taking applications since Oct. 1, and heating grants run as high as $1,278.

The same application also covers the state’s Universal Service Fund, which can take up to $200 a month off gas and electric bills. Applications stay open through June 30, 2027, but the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs says aid is handed out first come, first served.

Who qualifies at 60% of state median income

New Jersey sets its LIHEAP cutoff at 60% of state median income. The DCA’s fiscal 2027 fact sheet lists these gross annual income limits for the program year that began Oct. 1, 2026:

• 1 person: $51,273
• 2 people: $67,049
• 3 people: $82,825
• 4 people: $98,602
• 5 people: $114,378
• 6 people: $130,154
• 7 people: $133,112
• 8 people: $136,070

The list continues up to 12 people at $147,903, and the state adds $2,952 a year for each person beyond that. Monthly equivalents are on the fact sheet; for a household of four, the monthly limit is $8,217 before taxes.

Applicants must be responsible for their own heating or cooling costs, according to NJ 211, the state’s referral line, and residents of public housing or households with rental assistance must pay the fuel supplier directly. The amount of help depends on income, household size, fuel type and the region of the state where the home sits.

How the $1,278 heating grant is set

LIHEAP heating benefits in New Jersey ranged from a $118 minimum to a $1,278 maximum in the 2026 program year, according to the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, a federally funded information service, in a New Jersey profile updated in April. Winter crisis help, for households facing a shutoff or running out of fuel, topped out at $800.

For the current season, DCA told the public in its summer hearing notice on the fiscal 2027 plan that benefit amounts would be “kept at current levels” and that income eligibility would stay at 60% of state median income. That keeps the top heating grant at $1,278 this winter, the same figure the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Oct. 25 in its guide to heating aid in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

How the money arrives depends on the fuel. NJ 211 says gas and electric heating benefits usually go to the utility, while oil, propane and kerosene benefits are paid by a two-party check made out to the household and the fuel dealer. A separate $300 benefit is available for households that need cooling for medical reasons, according to the DCA fact sheet.

The Universal Service Fund works differently. It is a state program that lowers gas and non-heating electric bills when they take up more than a set share of a household’s income, with a cap of $200 a month. To get it, the bill has to be in the name of someone in the household, and NJ 211 says gas customers must be spending more than 2% of annual income on gas, while electric customers must spend more than 4% if they heat with electricity or 2% if they don’t. Every eligible household receives at least $5 a month, and first-time USF recipients with a past-due balance of $60 or more may be enrolled automatically in the Fresh Start program, which can forgive that balance.

Applying before the money runs short

Applications can be filed online at energyassistance.nj.gov or through the local agency in each county. DCA says applicants 60 and older or with a disability can apply by mail or ask for a home visit. The state’s information line is 1-800-510-3102.

One application covers LIHEAP, USF and the state’s free weatherization program. NJ 211 advises applicants to have ID for household members, proof of income for adults 18 and older, proof of citizenship or residency, a recent utility bill, and a tax bill, mortgage statement or lease ready. Processing takes about 60 days, and incomplete files take longer. Recipients must recertify every year, and NJ 211 says households that move must notify their new utility and file a new application before USF credits resume.

Because benefits are paid in the order applications come in, applying earlier in the season gives households the best chance at full help. Households with a heating emergency, such as a broken furnace, an empty oil tank or a shutoff notice, should tell their county agency, since crisis aid requires a regular LIHEAP application first, according to the Inquirer’s guide. NJ 211 adds that households already getting LIHEAP or USF who receive a shutoff notice may qualify for an emergency payment after March 15, and it urges anyone behind on a bill to call the utility to set up a payment plan and keep making good-faith payments in the meantime.

New Jersey residents looking at other bill relief this fall can read about the ANCHOR property tax relief deadline on Nov. 2, which offers renters $450, or $700 if they are 65 or older.

For a household of four just under the $98,602 line, the possible help this season adds up to a one-time heating grant of up to $1,278 plus USF credits of up to $200 a month, with the application window closing June 30, 2027.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: Shixart1985 – CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons