HEAP winter heating aid opens Nov. 2 as delivered-fuel benefits rise

By Staff Reporter

ALBANY — New York’s main winter heating-aid program opens for applications on Nov. 2, with higher benefits for households that burn delivered fuels and a Western New York caseload that already tops 130,000 benefits a year. The question for local offices is not whether help exists, but whether people who need it apply before the money runs thin.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the 2026–27 Home Energy Assistance Program season on Oct. 16. More than 1.5 million HEAP benefits were issued statewide last winter, including 132,462 in Western New York and more than 93,000 authorized in Erie County alone, according to the governor’s office and the Erie County Executive’s Office.

“While Trump and Washington Republicans keep driving up fuel and utility costs, I’m staying focused on helping New Yorkers keep more money in their pockets,” Ms. Hochul said. “As the weather gets colder, my administration is ensuring New Yorkers can utilize the Home Energy Assistance Program to help heat their homes and address rising costs.”

The state’s own figures put heating oil prices up 67 percent and kerosene up 50 percent from a year earlier, which the governor’s release tied to federal energy pressures and the war in Iran. In response, Albany raised the base benefit for oil, kerosene or propane heat by $90, to $990, and the wood, pellets and coal benefit by $65, to $700, according to the 2026–27 HEAP Desk Guide (LDSS-5005) used by local social-services districts.

Who gets help, and how much

A four-person household can qualify with gross monthly income up to $6,852, or about $82,230 a year. Natural-gas or electric utility heat carries a $400 base benefit. Households at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level can get an extra $61; those with a member under 6, 60 or older, or permanently disabled can get another $35. Heat-included renters get far less — $50 or $45, or a $21 “Heat and Eat” payment — under the same desk guide.

Most of the automatic payments go to people already on SNAP or Temporary Assistance. The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance says it preps those payments so more than 1.1 million households can be paid promptly once the season opens. Everyone else applies online, by mail or in person through a county department of social services, starting Nov. 2 at ny.gov/HEAP and myBenefits.ny.gov.

“New Yorkers who need help paying to keep their homes heated this winter season can receive vital financial support from HEAP,” said OTDA Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn. “This benefit is particularly valuable during a time when households are facing rising energy costs. Help is available and we encourage those in need to apply as soon as possible as HEAP benefits are available for low- and middle-income households on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Office for the Aging Acting Director Greg Olsen framed the program as a health issue for older adults on fixed incomes. “No older adult should have to worry about staying warm during the winter,” he said. “For older people living on fixed incomes, rising heating costs can be a serious burden, and cold temperatures can pose added health risks.”

What counties are telling residents

Erie County is pushing remote applications and community outreach events. “Energy costs remain high, and we expect a busy HEAP season,” said Minnie James, executive director of Social Services Family Independence, in an Oct. 2 county release. “We are urging residents with heat service currently on and without a shut off notice to file HEAP applications online at http://www.mybenefits.ny.gov, by emailing heaphotline@erie.gov to request an application, or by calling the HEAP Phone Center at 858-7644.”

Niagara County Social Services Commissioner Meghan Lutz said early-outreach packets have already gone to some prior-year recipients, but everyone else must wait for Nov. 2. “In this time of skyrocketing utility bills, our department knows that many families count on HEAP to keep their homes warm in the winter,” Ms. Lutz said in a county announcement. “I strongly urge people to pay attention to these dates and get their application submitted once the HEAP application process begins.”

Furnace repair and replacement money is already available in Niagara County as of Oct. 1. Statewide, the desk guide caps heating-equipment repair at $4,000, replacement at $8,000 and clean-and-tune at $500.

Emergency help comes later — and runs out

Emergency HEAP, for households facing a shutoff or an empty oil tank, opens Jan. 4, 2027. Eligible households get one regular benefit per season. Emergency awards for oil, kerosene or propane match the $990 regular base; electric heat and combined gas-and-electric emergencies max at $585.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said she had pressed for the federal LIHEAP dollars that fund the state program. “I am relieved that the federal government has released heating assistance funding, allowing New York State to make these funds available to help New Yorkers heat their homes,” she said. Sen. Chuck Schumer called HEAP “federal help to manage challenging heating costs” and said he had “fought to deliver heating assistance for New Yorkers.”

The accountability question for Western New York is practical. County hotlines, outreach calendars and early-outreach mailings decide who hears about the Nov. 2 open date before the first cold snap. Applicants who wait until a shutoff notice arrive after regular benefits are spoken for may find only the January emergency window left — and that window is still first-come, first-served.

The Buffalo Chronicle is seeking comment from National Fuel Gas and the New York State Public Service Commission on shutoff trends and arrearage levels heading into the HEAP season. Any responses will be added to this story.

Featured photo: A home heating oil delivery truck. Photo by Mike Mozart via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.