NEW YORK (WWTI) — Additional federal funding has been made available for home heating assistance in New York.

On February 23, Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed that $65 million in funding through the Home Energy Assistance Program is available to low- and middle-income New Yorkers.

HEAP can help New Yorkers avoid having their home heating disconnected or exhausting their heating source amid fuel price increases this winter.

However, Governor Hochul said that the demand for heating assistance through HEAP has been significantly high this winter. She said that over 1.4 million regular benefits have been issued since the program opened in October 2021, and an additional 28,000 emergency benefits have been issued since January 3.

According to Governor Hochul, qualifying households that have exhausted the regular HEAP benefit and the first emergency benefit may now apply for a second round of assistance.

“Energy prices remain at sky-high levels, putting a tremendous burden on struggling New Yorkers trying to pay their energy bills during these cold winter months,” Governor Hochul said in a press release. “With just a few more weeks of winter left, this second round of emergency assistance will provide critical relief for low- and middle-income households, helping New Yorkers in need when the temperatures dip to frigid levels.”

These households must be either facing a heating utility shutoff or an electric utility service disconnection that will impact their primary heating equipment.

Households can also qualify for the secondary benefit if they have exhausted their heating fuel supply of have less than one-quarter of a tank of oil, kerosene or propane, or have less than a 10-day supply of other heating fuels.

Below are income guidelines for households to qualify for HEAP:

Household SizeMaximum Gross Monthly Income
1$2,729
2$3,569
3$4,409
4$5,249
5$6,088
6$6,928
7$7,086
8$7,243
9$7,401
10$7,558
11$7,715
12$7,873
13$8,420
Each additionalAdd $568

2021-2022 regular HEAP benefit amounts, as well as emergency heat and heat-related benefits, are listed in the charts below:

Base Benefit AmountLiving Situation
$21Eligible households that live in government-subsidized housing or a group home setting with heat included in their rent.
$45 or $50Eligible households who have heating costs included as part of their rent.
$675 + applicable add-onsEligible households whose primary heat is oil, kerosene, or propane and who make direct payments to the vendor for heating costs.
$525 + applicable add-onsEligible households whose primary heat is wood, wood pellets, coal, corn or other deliverable fuel and who make direct payments to the vendor for heating costs.
$350 + applicable add-onsEligible households whose primary heat is electricity or natural gas and who make direct payments based on their household’s actual usage to the vendor.
Type of EmergencyAmount
Heat Related Domestic (electric service required to operate heating equipment)$185
Natural Gas Heat Only$465
Natural Gas Combined with Heat Related Domestic$650
Electric Heat Combined with Heat Related Domestic$650
Non-utility heating fuel (oil, kerosene, and propane)$965
Non-utility heating fuel (wood, pellets, coal, corn, etc.)$700