Government shutdown puts NY HEAP on hold

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — The federal Home Energy Assistance Program that helps low-income New Yorkers afford heating and cooling is indefinitely delayed because of the ongoing government shutdown. Scheduled to start accepting applications on November 3, HEAP gave over $287 million to more than 1.5 million low-income households across New York for utilities and fuel deliveries last winter.

Of those households, 968,000 were in New York City. Take a look at the breakdown below for the 2024/2025 winter season, according to Governor Kathy Hochul’s office:

In Ulster County alone, more than 15,000 households depend on HEAP. County Executive Jen Metzger said that interrupting the program would have an “immediate and devastating effect on our communities, especially as colder weather approaches.”

The Public Service Commission projects average residential gas bills to be about 8% higher this winter than last year. They expect electric bills to be similar to last winter.

The November timeframe is supposed to let people plan and get fueled before the cold hits. But the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance that administers HEAP notified local social services departments of the delay, owing to the federal budget drama.

Blaming Republicans, Democratic U.S. Senate Leader Chuck Schumer of New York argued that the shutdown “threatens to halt funding for HEAP, which would leave hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers at risk of going without heat as temperatures drop.”

But Republican State Senate Leader Rob Ortt blamed Schumer for risking HEAP and other programs that he called “lifelines for our most vulnerable citizens.”

Republican Assemblymember Matt Simpson wants Hochul to use New York’s $4.8 billion rainy day fund to pay for HEAP and other programs until federal funds get restored. The Public Utility Law Project and AARP New York also urged the governor to address the funding shortfall and make sure that HEAP opens as scheduled. They pointed out that over 1.2 million New York households are 60 days behind on utilities as of October, owing almost $2 billion in overdue power bills.

Typically, eligible households can apply for one regular HEAP payout per year. It directly pays the utility company or provider for low-income New Yorkers—especially older adults, people with disabilities, and families with young children. Eligibility depends on citizenship, household size, and primary heating source.

It also depends on gross monthly income levels, based on 60% of the state median income or 150% of the federal poverty line, whichever is greater:

Households on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, federally funded Temporary Assistance, or code A Supplemental Security Income—for those who live alone or pay a share of household expenses—are automatically income eligible.

The maximum regular HEAP benefit for a single season totals $996. The highest base benefit is $900 for households using expensive fuels like oil, kerosene, or propane. The poorest households get a $61 bonus, and households with a vulnerable member who is age 60 or older, under age 6, or permanently disabled get a $35 bonus.

Households can receive that base $900, or for other, cheaper deliverable fuels like wood, pellets, coal, or corn, households get $635. The base benefit for homes heated by electricity or natural gas is $400. Tenants whose heating is included in their rent get $45 or $50, while those in government housing with heat included get $21.

The Emergency HEAP Benefit is scheduled to open on January 2, although it depends on federal funding. It’s supposed to offset costs for the poor in a heating emergency like a utility shut-off or having under a quarter tank of fuel oil, kerosene, or propane.

Customers who enroll in HEAP are supposed to be automatically enrolled in utility companies’ Energy Affordability Programs, offering discounts on gas and electric bills. For example, National Grid customers who qualify for HEAP get an EAP monthly bill credit that’s good for as long as 14 months. The PSC recently announced that starting in 2026, EAP eligibility will expand to all residential utility customers below the state median income.

The Cooling Assistance Benefit is scheduled to open on April 15, 2026, again depending on federal funding. It gives certain households that don’t have a working air conditioner less than 5 years old one new air conditioning unit or fan.