SNAP & CA Homelessness Prevention Health Assistance Other Benefits & Services

Energy Assistance

What is HEAP?

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program that helps low-income homeowners and renters heat and cool their homes.

HEAP consists of five seasonal components benefits: Regular HEAP Benefit, Emergency HEAP Benefit, Cooling Assistance Benefit, Clean and Tune Benefit and Heating Equipment and Repair and Replacement (HERR) Benefit.

Regular HEAP Benefit

The 2024-2025 Regular HEAP benefit is scheduled to open November 1, 2024.

If you are eligible, you may receive one regular HEAP benefit per program year to help you pay for heating your home.

Eligibility and benefits are based on:

income,
household size,
the primary heating source, and
the presence of a household member who is under age 6, age 60 or older or permanently disabled.

Regular benefits for households that pay directly for heat based on actual usage are paid directly to the vendor that supplies the household's primary source of heat.

Your household may be eligible for a Regular HEAP benefit 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
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)

Learn more about the Regular HEAP benefit.

How to Apply:

You can apply for HEAP Regular benefit online, in person by visiting a HEAP office, or by mail. Regular HEAP benefit applications will be accepted starting November 1, 2024.

Apply Online

Apply online on ACCESS HRA.
Scan your documents using the ACCESS HRA mobile app available for free on the iTunes Store(for iPhones) or the Google Play Store (for Android phones).
After you submit your application, you may be contacted to do an eligibility interview. You can do your interview over the telephone without having to come into a benefits access center.
You can check the status of your application by going to ACCESS HRA.

Apply in Person

You can apply in person by visiting a HEAP office or Outreach location near you.

Apply by Mail or Fax

You can fax your completed HEAP Regular application to 917-639-2900 or mail to:

- Home Energy Assistance Program/HEAP
  P.O. Box 1401
  Church Street Station
  New York, NY 10008

You can request an application be mailed to you by calling 718-557-1399 and HEAP will provide you with more information on eligibility, the application process, and required documentation.

HEAP Application (LDSS 3421)

View the Beat the Heat Flyer in English/Español

Emergency HEAP Benefit

The 2024-2025 First and Second Emergency Benefits are scheduled to open January 2, 2025.

If you are eligible, the Emergency HEAP Benefit can help you heat your home if you are in a heat or heat related emergency.

Emergency HEAP benefits and eligibility are based on:

income,
available resources, and
the type of emergency

You may be eligible for an Emergency HEAP benefit if:

Your electricity is necessary for your heating system or thermostat to work and is either shut-off or scheduled to be shut off or
Your electric or natural gas heat is off or scheduled to be shut-off or
You are out of fuel, or you have less than one quarter tank of fuel oil, kerosene or propane or have less than a ten (10) day supply of wood, wood pellets, corn, or other deliverable heat source.

and

Your household's gross monthly income is at or below the current income guides for your household size as posted in the table below 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 and
The heating and/or electric bill is in your name and
Your household's available resources are:
- less than $2,500; or
- less than $3,750 if any member of your household is age 60 or older, or under age 6.

Learn more about the Emergency HEAP benefit.

How to Apply:

You can apply for HEAP Emergency benefit by telephone, or in person by visiting a HEAP office.

Apply by Telephone:

You can call the DSS OneNumber at 718-557-1399 and HEAP will provide you with more information on eligibility, the application process, and required documentation.

Apply in Person

You can apply in person by visiting a HEAP office or Outreach location near you.

Clean and Tune Benefit

The 2024 - 2025 Clean and Tune benefit opened on October 1, 2024.

What is clean and tune? Eligible households can receive energy efficiency services, which includes the cleaning of primary heating equipment but may also include chimney cleaning, minor repairs, installation of carbon monoxide detectors or programmable thermostats, if needed, to allow for the safe, proper, and efficient operation of the heating equipment.

How much is the benefit? Benefit amounts are based on the actual cost to provide clean and tune services, up to a maximum of $500.

How to Apply:

You can apply for HEAP Clean and Tune benefit by telephone, or in person by visiting a HEAP office.

Apply by Telephone:

You can call the DSS OneNumber at 718-557-1399 and HEAP will provide you with more information on eligibility, the application process, and required documentation.

Learn more about the Clean and Tune benefit.

Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement (HERR) Benefit

The 2024-2025 Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit opened on October 1, 2024.

What is HERR? The Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR) benefit helps eligible homeowners repair or replace their furnace, boiler, and other direct heating equipment needed to keep their home’s main heating source working. HERR is only given to eligible applicants once every ten years.

How much is the HERR benefit? HERR benefit amounts are based on the actual cost to repair or replace a furnace, boiler, and/or other essential heating equipment, up to $4,000 for a repair and $8,000 for a replacement.

To Apply:

If you need a copy of the application mailed to you, or need additional help, please call the DSS One Number: 718-557-1399.

Return in person at a HEAP office
Fax to: 917-639-2900, or
Mail to:
- Home Energy Assistance Program/HEAP
  P.O. Box 1401
  Church Street Station
  New York, NY 10008

Learn more about the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR) Benefit.

Cooling Assistance Benefit

The Cooling Assistance Benefit is scheduled to open on April 15, 2025.

If you are eligible, you may receive one Cooling Assistance benefit per applicant household for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner or a fan to help your home stay cool.

In circumstances where an air conditioner cannot be safely installed, a fan will be provided.

Only one air conditioner or fan, not to exceed $800 with installation for a window, portable air conditioner, or fan and not to exceed $1,000 for an existing wall sleeve unit, will be provided per applicant household. No additional HEAP cash benefits are available.

You may be eligible for a Cooling Assistance HEAP benefit if:

Your household's gross monthly income is at or below the current income guidelines for your household size as posted in the following table, 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 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 Non-Citizen, 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.

Learn more about the HEAP Cooling Assistance Component benefit.

How to Apply:

You can apply for HEAP Cooling Assistance Component benefit online, in person by visiting a HEAP office, or by telephone. HEAP Cooling Assistance Component benefit applications will be accepted starting April 15, 2025.

Apply Online

Apply online on ACCESS HRA.
Scan your documents using the ACCESS HRA mobile app available for free on the iTunes Store(for iPhones) or the Google Play Store (for Android phones).
After you submit your application, you may be contacted to do an eligibility interview. You can do your interview over the telephone without having to come into a benefits access center.
You can check the status of your application by going to ACCESS HRA.

Apply in Person

You can also apply in person by visiting a HEAP office or Outreach location near you.

Apply by Telephone

You can call the DSS OneNumber at 718-557-1399 and HEAP will provide you with more information on eligibility, the application process, and required documentation.