Heating Assistance by State
What the program is actually called where you live, when its season opens, what the income test measures against, and what to do when the heat is about to go off this week.
18 names for the same federal program
Congress funds one block grant, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and hands it to the states to run. 46 states rename it. A household in New York applies to HEAP, a household in Pennsylvania applies to LIHEAP, a household in Texas applies to CEAP, and a household in Ohio applies to HEAP and means something with a different income test than the HEAP three hundred miles north east of them. The acronyms collide because nobody coordinated them.
That is why searching the federal name often returns a national directory and nothing local. The table below is the search term that works, state by state.
| Called | State | In full |
|---|---|---|
| CEAP | Connecticut | Connecticut Energy Assistance Program |
| CEAP | Texas | Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program |
| DEAP | Delaware | Delaware Energy Assistance Program |
| EAP | Nevada | Energy Assistance Program |
| EAP | Virginia | Energy Assistance Program |
| Energy Assistance Program | Indiana | Energy Assistance Program |
| Energy Assistance Program | Minnesota | Energy Assistance Program |
| FAP | New Hampshire | Fuel Assistance Program |
| H-HEAP | Hawaii | Hawai`i Home Energy Assistance Program |
| HAP | Alaska | Heating Assistance Program (HAP), covering the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Alaska Affordable Heating Program |
| HEAP | Maine | Home Energy Assistance Program |
| HEAP | Massachusetts | Home Energy Assistance Program |
| HEAP | New York | Home Energy Assistance Program |
| HEAP | Ohio | Home Energy Assistance Program |
| HEAT | Utah | Home Energy Assistance Target (HEAT) Program |
| Home Energy Plus | Wisconsin | Home Energy Plus |
| LEAP | Colorado | Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program |
| LIEAP | Kansas | Low Income Energy Assistance Program |
| LIEAP | North Carolina | Low Income Energy Assistance Program |
| LIEAP | South Dakota | Low Income Energy Assistance Program |
| LIEAP | West Virginia | Low Income Energy Assistance Program |
| LIEAP | Wyoming | Low Income Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Alabama | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Arizona | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Arkansas | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | California | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Florida | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Georgia | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Idaho | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), seasonal and crisis heating assistance |
| LIHEAP | Kentucky | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Louisiana | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Mississippi | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Montana | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Nebraska | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | New Jersey | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | New Mexico | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Oklahoma | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Oregon | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Pennsylvania | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Rhode Island | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | South Carolina | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Tennessee | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| LIHEAP | Washington | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
| Illinois | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program | |
| Missouri | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program | |
| North Dakota | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program | |
| Iowa | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program | |
| MEAP | Maryland | Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP), run with the Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) by the Office of Home Energy Programs |
| Seasonal Fuel Assistance | Vermont | Seasonal Fuel Assistance |
| State Emergency Relief | Michigan | State Emergency Relief |
Two yardsticks, and a percentage on one is not a percentage on the other
19 states set the limit as a share of state median income, which is what households in that state actually earn and therefore moves with the local economy. 13 set it as a share of the federal poverty guidelines, a single national figure that does not. Sixty percent of state median income in Connecticut and sixty percent of the federal poverty level are not remotely the same number, and a household that reads one figure expecting the other will rule itself out wrongly.
A state using state median income is usually the more generous of the two in a high wage state and the less generous in a low wage one. Either way, income is gross rather than take home in nearly every state, and the counting period is usually the last thirty days or the last twelve months rather than last year’s tax return.
| State | Measured against | The test |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | Federal poverty level, 200% | 200 percent or below the federal poverty guidelines, with the household income annualized |
| Vermont | Federal poverty level, 185% | Gross household income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, by household size. |
| Alabama | Federal poverty level, 150% | household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level |
| Alaska | Federal poverty level, 150% | LIHEAP covers households with income up to 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines and the state funded AAHP covers households above that and up to 225 percent, against maximum monthly income limits the division publishes by household size for the 2026-2027 season; the household must also have at least 200 dollars a year in out of pocket heating costs. |
| Kansas | Federal poverty level, 150% | Combined gross income of everyone at the address may not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level, and an adult at the address must be personally responsible for the heating costs |
| Nebraska | Federal poverty level, 150% | 150 percent of the federal poverty level |
| Nevada | Federal poverty level, 150% | Total monthly gross household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. |
| Texas | Federal poverty level, 150% | 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines |
| Utah | Federal poverty level, 150% | 150 percent of the federal poverty level |
| Virginia | Federal poverty level, 150% | gross monthly income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, plus a heating or cooling expense |
| Washington | Federal poverty level, 150% | 150 percent of the federal poverty level. |
| Kentucky | Federal poverty level, 130% | household income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level, with liquid resources under $2,000, or under $4,000 where a household member has a catastrophic illness |
| North Carolina | Federal poverty level, 130% | 130 percent of the federal poverty level, with a reserve limit, and the household must be responsible for its heating costs |
| North Dakota | A state set table, 60% | at or below 60 percent of North Dakota's median income, within the published table for the household size |
| Oregon | A state set table, 60% | Household income at or below 60 percent of Oregon's median income, by household size, with gross income counted before deductions. |
| Rhode Island | A state set table, 60% | household income at or below 60 percent of the Rhode Island median income levels set each program year |
| Arizona | A state set table | A monthly gross income limit by household size published by DES, with households already receiving DES Nutrition Assistance or DES Cash Assistance treated as categorically eligible |
| California | A state set table | A maximum monthly household income by household size, published by the department for 2026, running from 3,331.66 dollars for one person to 9,226.25 dollars for ten, with 192.21 dollars added for each person beyond ten. |
| Idaho | A state set table | A monthly income limit by family size, published by the department and revised for each program year. |
| Maine | A state set table | A maximum gross household income set by household size, published by MaineHousing; households over the limit may deduct part of what they paid in medical expenses. |
| Maryland | A state set table | gross household income over the last 30 days at or below the monthly limit published for the household size in fiscal year 2027 |
| Michigan | A state set table | The department states eligibility on income and assets together with an immediate need such as a past due or shutoff notice, and does not print a percentage figure for State Emergency Relief on this page. |
| Missouri | A state set table | at or below the income guidelines on the department's benefit program limit chart for the household size, with no more than 3,000 dollars in bank, retirement or investment accounts |
| Pennsylvania | A state set table | a household income limit set by household size, 23,940 dollars for one person and 49,500 dollars for four, with 8,520 dollars added for each additional person |
| South Dakota | A state set table | The department publishes a three month gross income limit table for the 2025-2026 heating season rather than a stated percentage, and a household must be at or below the limit for its size. |
| West Virginia | A state set table | countable monthly household income at or below the LIEAP guideline for the household size published by the Bureau for Family Assistance for the current fiscal year |
| Illinois | State median income, 300% | For customers of the five named large utilities, combined gross income for the 30 days before applying at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines; the department also states that annual eligibility levels are set each year and may not exceed 60 percent of the state median income. |
| Ohio | State median income, 175% | 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for households of eight or fewer, and 60 percent of state median income for households of nine or more |
| Colorado | State median income, 60% | 60 percent of the state median income |
| Connecticut | State median income, 60% | household income at or below 60 percent of the Connecticut state median income, or receipt of SNAP, TANF, SSI or other qualifying Department of Social Services benefits |
| Delaware | State median income, 60% | household income at or below 60 percent of Delaware's state median income, counted after federal and local taxes |
| Florida | State median income, 60% | total income no more than 60 percent of the Florida state median income or 150 percent of the federal poverty level |
| Georgia | State median income, 60% | gross annual household income at or below 60 percent of the state median income |
| Indiana | State median income, 60% | 60 percent of the state median income or less, measured on the most recent three months of income. |
| Louisiana | State median income, 60% | 60 percent of the estimated state median income, printed by household size for 2026 and starting at $30,618 a year for a household of one |
| Massachusetts | State median income, 60% | household income at or below 60 percent of the Massachusetts estimated state median income |
| Mississippi | State median income, 60% | household income at or below 60 percent of the state median income for the household size |
| Montana | State median income, 60% | For households of one through eight, 60 percent of the state median income; for households of ten or more, 150 percent of the poverty threshold. Resource limits apply as well, and a household on SNAP, SSI or TANF may qualify automatically. |
| New Hampshire | State median income, 60% | Gross household income at or below 60 percent of the New Hampshire state median income, with the applicant's primary residence in New Hampshire. |
| New Jersey | State median income, 60% | gross household income at or below 60 percent of the New Jersey state median income, and responsibility for the home heating or cooling cost either directly or through the rent |
| South Carolina | State median income, 60% | 60 percent of the state median income, plus a need at the time of application such as an energy bill due in an adult household member's name |
| Tennessee | State median income, 60% | household income at or below 60 percent of the state median income |
| Wyoming | State median income, 60% | Total household income at or below 60 percent of the Wyoming state median, for homeowners, renters and people living in permanently parked RVs. |
| Minnesota | State median income, 50% | 50 percent of state median income for households of 1 to 18 people, and 110 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for households of 19 or 20 |
| Arkansas | State median income | a maximum monthly countable income set by household size on the Energy Office's own chart, drawn from the state median income for households of one to seven and from the federal poverty guidelines for eight or more |
The season opens in 8 different months
Most states open in October or November and run until the money is gone, which in a hard winter can be February. A few are outliers worth knowing about: Oklahoma does not open its heating component until January, Hawaii takes applications for one month in the summer, and Maryland runs a full twelve month year. Several states open early for households over sixty five or with a disability and later for everyone else.
First come first served is the usual rule, and in most states the money is a fixed federal allocation rather than an entitlement. Applying in the first fortnight is worth more than applying with a stronger case in February.
| State | Opens | Closes | Called |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Jan 6 | While funds last | LIHEAP |
| Hawaii | Jun 1 | Jun 30 | H-HEAP |
| Maryland | Jul 1 | Jun 30 | MEAP |
| Nevada | Jul 1 | Jun 30 | EAP |
| Ohio | Jul 1 | May 31 | HEAP |
| Maine | Aug 3 | May 29 | HEAP |
| Connecticut | Sep 1 | May 31 | CEAP |
| Alaska | Oct 1 | Apr 30 | HAP |
| Delaware | Oct 1 | Mar 31 | DEAP |
| Idaho | Oct 1 | Sep 30 | LIHEAP |
| Illinois | Oct 1 | Aug 13 | |
| Iowa | Oct 1 | Apr 30 | |
| Massachusetts | Oct 1 | Apr 30 | HEAP |
| Minnesota | Oct 1 | May 31 | Energy Assistance Program |
| Montana | Oct 1 | Apr 30 | LIHEAP |
| Nebraska | Oct 1 | Mar 31 | LIHEAP |
| New Jersey | Oct 1 | Jun 30 | LIHEAP |
| Rhode Island | Oct 1 | Apr 15 | LIHEAP |
| Virginia | About Oct (2nd Tuesday) | Nov (2nd Friday) | EAP |
| Washington | Oct 1 | Sep 30 | LIHEAP |
| Wisconsin | Oct 1 | May 15 | Home Energy Plus |
| Wyoming | Oct 1 | Apr 30 | LIEAP |
| Colorado | Nov 1 | Apr 30 | LEAP |
| Kentucky | Nov 1 | Mar 15 | LIHEAP |
| Pennsylvania | Nov 2 | While funds last | LIHEAP |
| Tennessee | Nov 1 | While funds last | LIHEAP |
| Utah | Nov 1 | Sep 30 | HEAT |
| Georgia | About Dec (first workday) | While funds last | LIHEAP |
| Louisiana | Dec 15 | Mar 31 | LIHEAP |
| North Carolina | Dec 1 | Mar 31 | LIEAP |
When the heat is about to go off
40 states run a crisis or emergency component beside the regular grant, and it is a different application with a faster clock. The usual trigger is a disconnection notice, an empty tank, or a failed furnace, and the usual promise is action within eighteen or forty eight hours. A household that is already in crisis should apply to that component first and to the regular grant afterwards, not the other way round.
Alaska
Crisis Assistance is taken from September 1 through June 30 and pays a vendor directly when a household is out of primary heating fuel or within 48 hours of running out, when heating fuel or electric service has been disconnected or is within 48 hours of disconnection, or when an eviction for nonpayment of rent arrives where heat is included in an unsubsidized rent.
800-478-7778
Arizona
A separate crisis benefit, once in a twelve month period, for a household that has used up its regular benefit and has a shut off or delinquency notice, an eviction notice where utilities are in the rent, or under seven days of prepaid or portable energy left.
1-866-494-1981
California
The one time payment can be used in an emergency or energy crisis, which the department names as including a utility disconnection.
Colorado
A household facing a shut off or running out of fuel can have its application expedited, and the year round Crisis Intervention Program repairs or replaces a broken primary heating system.
1-866-432-8435
Connecticut
There is no separate crisis application; households heating with deliverable fuel can get extra deliveries, and CEAP recipients may also qualify for payment matching plans, shut off protection and heating equipment repair or replacement.
Delaware
Crisis Assistance runs all year for a household holding a shutoff notice, sitting at or below a tenth of a tank of fuel, or carrying a past due energy bill, and it can be used on top of the winter heating benefit.
302-255-9875
Florida
Depending on funds in the county a household may apply more than once in a year, though not every month.
Georgia
An energy crisis component serves households facing a life threatening heating or cooling emergency.
Every state’s crisis rule, including the 32 not shown here, is on its own page below.
Heating assistance questions
Heating assistance in every state
Fifty states read September 23, 2026 from each state’s own administering agency, linked on every state page. Opening dates, income limits and benefit amounts are set each program year and several states had not yet published the current year’s figures when these pages were compiled, so the agency page linked on each state is the one that governs.