Yes, financial aid for heating exists through a mix of federal, state, and local programs, from LIHEAP to utility discounts to free furnace repair.

Cold is a health risk, not just an expense. In 2023, 1,024 U.S. deaths were attributed to excessive cold or hypothermia, a count that only captures deaths coded directly to cold. A 2025 JAMA Network Open study of 54.2 million death records linked low temperatures to roughly 46,000 deaths a year across all causes. Older adults face the highest risk. The National Institute on Aging recommends a thermostat setting of at least 68°F and warns that homes at 60 to 65°F can lead to hypothermia in older adults. For someone with a heart, lung, or kidney condition, working heat is medically necessary.

Costs are also rising for many households. EIA's 2026–27 outlook expects homes heated with electricity or heating oil to spend more than last winter, with heating oil up about 21%. NEADA estimates about 21.5 million households, roughly one in six, are behind on energy bills.

What heating assistance programs exist?

No single program covers everything, but households can typically combine more than one, each with its own application and rules.

• Bill payment assistance. LIHEAP is federal money that goes straight to your utility or fuel vendor. Nationally, the average benefit is about $500, while annual energy costs for low-income families run over $2,000.
• Discounted utility rates. Many utilities and states run low-income rate programs with their own applications, separate from LIHEAP.
• Shutoff protection. State rules can block disconnection during extreme cold or when someone in the home has a documented medical condition.
• Free or subsidized equipment and repairs. State heating assistance and the federal Weatherization Assistance Program can repair, modify, or replace heating systems.
• Emergency crisis funds. For households facing imminent shutoff or an empty tank, LIHEAP crisis assistance and local charitable funds can move quickly.

If you heat with oil, propane, or wood, most of the shutoff protections won’t apply to you. LIHEAP can still pay your fuel dealer directly, but winter shutoff rules in most states only cover utilities regulated by the state commission. Fuel dealers, rural co-ops, and city-owned utilities usually aren’t bound by them, so you should ask your supplier directly what protections apply.

‍

State-specific examples

• New York: HEAP pays up to $4,000 to repair a furnace or boiler and up to $8,000 to replace one, for eligible homeowners.
• New Jersey: FY2026 heating benefits ranged from $118 to $1,278, with winter crisis help up to $800 and a separate year-round fund, NJ SHARES.
• Pennsylvania: LIHEAP is a one-time grant of $200 to $1,000, sent directly to your utility or fuel company.
• Ohio: PIPP Plus sets your monthly bill based on income rather than usage.
• Illinois: customers who qualify for LIHEAP, or earn at or below 300% of poverty, get a monthly discount on gas and electric bills.

‍

Who qualifies for heating help?

Most programs look at a few things:

• Household income. 150% of the poverty level is about $23,940 for one person and $49,500 for a family of four in the lower 48 states, but states set their own limits, and some use the higher state-median-income standard. Federal law lets states serve households with a member who receives TANF, SSI, or SNAP.
• Situation. Many programs give priority to older adults, young children, and people with a disability or a condition made worse by cold.
• Housing. Renters can qualify even when heat is included in rent, though some states send the benefit to the landlord, and not every type of housing is covered.
• Paperwork. Expect to provide a photo ID, proof of income for every household member, and recent utility information. One missing or inaccurate document can stall the application significantly.

If your income is too high for LIHEAP, you may still qualify elsewhere. Weatherization serves households up to 200% of the poverty guidelines, and some utility protections have no income limit at all. To check your numbers, call the National Energy Assistance Referral hotline at 1-866-674-6327 or dial 2-1-1.

State-specific examples

• New York: a household member under 6, over 60, or permanently disabled can raise the benefit.
• New Jersey: applicants 60 or older, or who have a disability, can apply by mail or request a home visit. Public housing and rental-assistance residents are excluded unless they pay the fuel supplier directly.
• Ohio: the Special Reconnect Order, covered in the next section, has no income limit.

‍

How does medical necessity protect your heat?

Many states let a licensed clinician certify that losing service would endanger someone in the home. Once the utility has that certificate, it has to pause the disconnection. How long the pause lasts, who can sign, and what the letter has to say all vary by state.

A certificate delays a shutoff but doesn’t erase what you owe. Shutoff restrictions don’t reduce past-due balances, and they don’t prevent disconnection later once the restrictions end. Most states pair these protections with a payment plan.

State-specific examples

• Pennsylvania: a certificate lasts 30 days.
• Ohio: a 30-day certificate, renewable twice. Ohio also runs the Special Reconnect Order from October 12, 2026 through April 16, 2027, which lets any residential customer of a regulated utility keep or restore service for $175 plus a reconnection fee of no more than $36. Households at or below 175% of poverty can apply to HEAP Winter Crisis to cover that $175.
• Illinois: up to 60 days. The certificate must come from a registered physician or local board of health and state that disconnection would create or worsen a medical emergency.

Why do people who qualify still miss out?

Most of these programs aren’t advertised, and none of them are simple. A few pitfalls come up again and again:

• Applying to one program and stopping. The programs stack. In some states, one application covers more than one program, and being approved for LIHEAP can switch on winter shutoff protection by itself.
• Assuming protection is automatic. Many states require you to apply for assistance, meet an income test, or agree to a payment plan, and you usually have to contact your utility to activate protection.
• Medical letters without the required wording. A sympathetic note isn’t the same as a certification that meets your state’s standard.
• Applying after funds run out. Many states operate first-come, first-served.
• Missing the appeal. Many denials come down to one fixable document. Ask how to request a hearing if you’re denied or your application stalls.

State-specific examples

• New Jersey: one LIHEAP application is also an application for the Universal Service Fund, and households can receive both.
• Illinois: LIHEAP participants can’t be disconnected for falling behind during the winter rule. If an application is denied or taking too long, the state publishes steps to request a hearing.

‍

How long does it take to get heating help?

The length of time to get help depends on which track you’re on.

• Crisis assistance is fast by law. Federal rules require help within 48 hours of an eligible application, or 18 hours if the situation is life-threatening. The clock starts once your application is complete, so missing documents delay everything. Some states treat a documented medical need as life-threatening.
• Standard applications take weeks, and timelines vary by state.
• The calendar matters. Most states open heating applications between September and November.

This winter’s timing looks better than last year’s. Last year’s federal shutdown delayed heating aid by more than a month in several states. This year a stopgap bill funds the government through December 11, so most states are expected to open on their normal schedule. The administration has again proposed eliminating LIHEAP in its FY2027 budget, but Congress rejected the same proposal for FY2026, and a budget request isn’t law. Funding for this season is in place.

If your heat is about to be shut off, act before the shutoff date. Call your utility and ask about winter protections, medical certification, and a payment plan. Then apply for crisis assistance.

State-specific examples

• New York: the regular HEAP benefit is scheduled to open November 2, 2026.

‍

What will it cost, and how do you bring the bill down?

Federal help is grant money, and grants don’t get repaid. LIHEAP never charges a fee, and anyone who asks you for one is running a scam. The goal is to stack programs, because each layer works differently:

• LIHEAP or state heating assistance lowers this season’s bill.
• A utility discount or income-based rate lowers every bill going forward.
• Weatherization is the permanent fix. Participating households save an average of $372 or more a year. Renters can apply with landlord permission, and eligible households typically go on a waitlist, so apply early.
• Local emergency funds can bridge the gap when a utility requires a payment before it will reconnect you.
• Medicare doesn’t cover heating costs or equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer utility credits to certain chronically ill members, but these are less common than they used to be.

‍

How can a Solace advocate help?

It's hard to know which programs exist, what order to apply in, and which office is holding your paperwork. A Solace advocate reviews every relevant program, from federal assistance to utility discounts to local charitable funds, and identifies what your household may qualify for. They work with your utility on disconnection holds, coordinate with your doctor's office so certification forms use the language your state requires, and track deadlines across every open application so nothing lapses. If a program says no, they handle the appeal. For eligible patients, advocacy is covered by Medicare and many insurance plans.

Getting started takes three steps. You answer a few quick questions about your insurance and health situation, then meet with a Solace physician for a short virtual intro visit of about 20 minutes. Your advocate takes it from there, getting the full picture of your household, finding every program you qualify for, handling the applications, and following up until everything is resolved.

‍