New York Raised Its Base HEAP Heating Benefit for Oil and Propane Homes by $90 to $990, and Applications Open Nov. 2

Heating oil prices are up 67% from a year ago and kerosene is up 50%, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. The state’s Home Energy Assistance Program is raising its benefits to match part of that jump, with the base payment for homes heated by oil, kerosene or propane climbing $90, to $990.

Applications for regular HEAP benefits open Monday, Nov. 2. Benefits are paid first come, first served, and each eligible household can receive one regular benefit per heating season.

The new base benefits by fuel

Hochul’s office announced the 2026-2027 amounts on Oct. 16. The changes focus on households that buy delivered fuel and pay for it directly:

• Oil, kerosene or propane: base benefit up $90, to $990.
• Wood, pellets or coal: base benefit up $65, to $700.
• Households that pay directly for heat with income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level: an extra $61.
• Households with someone 60 or older, under 6, or permanently disabled: an extra $35.

The final amount depends on income, household size, heating source and whether a vulnerable member lives in the home. For an oil-heated household at or below 130% of poverty that pays its own heating bill and includes an older adult, the base and both add-ons would total $1,086.

Barbara C. Guinn, commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, which runs HEAP, said in the release that benefits “are available for low- and middle-income households on a first-come, first-served basis.”

More than 1.1 million households get it without applying

The state expects more than 1.1 million low- and middle-income households and older adults to receive HEAP payments without filing anything, typically because they are already enrolled in SNAP or Public Assistance.

Last season, HEAP issued benefits to 1,574,316 households, according to the governor’s office. New York City accounted for 927,691 of them, followed by Western New York with 132,462 and the Hudson Valley with 95,898. The state expects a similar total this winter.

New York City residents who are not enrolled automatically apply through the city’s Human Resources Administration. The HRA energy assistance page lists ACCESS HRA online, the ACCESS HRA mobile app for scanning documents, in-person HEAP offices, mail and fax as options, with help available at 718-557-1399. Outside the city, applications go through ny.gov/HEAP or the county department of social services.

The HRA page lists the factors behind eligibility: a household member who is a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen, gross monthly income within the guidelines, and receipt of SNAP, Temporary Assistance or SSI for a person living alone. Eligibility also takes into account whether someone in the home is under 6, 60 or older, or permanently disabled.

Older adults who need help can contact their local Office for the Aging or the NY Connects helpline at 1-800-342-9871, CNY Central reported. “No older adult should have to worry about staying warm during the winter,” Greg Olsen, acting director of the state Office for the Aging, said in the governor’s release. The office also offers video tutorials that walk older adults through the application.

The income line for a family of four

A family of four can have gross income of up to $6,852 a month, or $82,230 a year, and still qualify. That cutoff is lower than in New Jersey, where a family of four can earn up to $98,602 and still get LIHEAP aid.

HEAP also pays for more than fuel. Homeowners can apply to have their primary heating equipment cleaned and tuned, and to repair or replace equipment that has stopped working. In New York City, the HRA page shows both of those services opened Oct. 1.

Emergency HEAP, for households about to run out of fuel or facing a utility shutoff, opens later, on Jan. 4, 2027. Finger Lakes 1 reported the same Jan. 4 date, and the regular benefit can be received only once per season.

Emergency help comes with an asset test. In New York City, the HRA page says a household’s available resources must be under $2,500, or under $3,750 if a member is 60 or older or under 6, and the heating or electric bill must be in the applicant’s name.

A month earlier than last winter

The Nov. 2 opening is about a month ahead of last season’s schedule. An OTDA notice to local social services districts shows that the 2025-2026 regular benefit did not open until Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, and was scheduled to run through April 7, 2026. That notice also told districts they could use Form LDSS-5000, a payment letter to fuel vendors, for households in an energy crisis such as a shutoff or a low fuel supply.

Because funding is first come, first served, the state is urging households that are not on SNAP or Public Assistance to apply early. Lawmakers backing the program pointed to the same pressure. “New Yorkers need relief now more than ever as temperatures drop and fuel prices soar,” U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said in the governor’s release. Rory M. Christian, chair of the state Department of Public Service, said HEAP helps households lower their utility bills as temperatures fall.

HEAP is separate from the state’s POWER energy rebate. Those $100 to $200 checks are arriving by mail this fall with no application required.

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

Image: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons