New Jersey opened applications for its 2026-27 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, on Oct. 1, and the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that households can receive up to $1,278 in benefits. The state Department of Community Affairs says it takes applications through June 30, 2027, on a first-come, first-served basis. Anyone who has not applied is already a month into the season.
How much income can a household have and still apply?
The state’s LIHEAP and Universal Service Fund fact sheet sets the limit at 60% of state median income. A one-person household can have up to $51,273 a year, or $4,273 a month, and a four-person household up to $98,602 a year, or $8,217 a month. The same sheet lists the rest of the table:
- Two people: $67,049 a year
- Three people: $82,825 a year
- Five people: $114,378 a year
- Six people: $130,154 a year
Households with seven to 12 members run from $133,112 to $147,903 a year, and each person beyond 12 adds $2,952. For most households the question is where total annual income lands on that table, since the limit is the only income test the fact sheet lists.
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Is $1,278 what everyone gets?
No. The department says the heating amount depends on income, household size, fuel type and heating region, and it publishes no single payment. The Inquirer’s Henry Savage, writing Oct. 25, put the ceiling at $1,278. The national LIHEAP Clearinghouse lists New Jersey’s heating benefit for federal fiscal year 2026 as $118 at the low end and $1,278 at the top.
Across the river, the Inquirer’s piece is mostly about Pennsylvania, where applications open Nov. 2 and grants run from $200 to $1,000, with a 2025-26 average of $282. New Jersey’s top figure is higher, but the Inquirer gives no New Jersey average, so a household’s own award can land well below the ceiling.
The one fixed figure on the state’s sheet is for cooling. The medically necessary cooling benefit is $300. The same application also counts as a Universal Service Fund application, so a household that is approved can receive both benefits.
Where do you send the application?
Because the program is first come, first served, a complete application matters more than an early start on one. The fact sheet gives June 30, 2027 as the last day to apply and does not say when the money runs out.
The Home Energy Assistance page tells applicants to complete the combined Home Energy, USF and Weatherization application and submit it to a local Community Action Agency. The department’s fact sheet adds that people can apply online at energyassistance.nj.gov, through the state portal at dcaid.dca.nj.gov, or by calling 1-800-510-3102 to find the nearest agency.
Applicants who are 60 or older, or who are disabled, can apply by mail or ask for a home visit from their county agency. Other households may apply by mail only at the local agency’s discretion. People with past-due electric or gas bills are told on the same page that they must submit an application to receive assistance, and that the past-due bill period is currently open.
The same page says the program also covers emergency heating system services and emergency fuel assistance, and that the money comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It lists a hotline at 1-800-510-3102 and an email address, USFHEA-application@dca.nj.gov, for application questions.
What stops a shutoff this winter?
New Jersey’s Winter Termination Program runs Nov. 15 through March 15. It covers residential electric, sewer and water service for households that can show eligibility, including recipients of Supplemental Security Income, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled, General Assistance, the Universal Service Fund and the Lifeline Credit Program.
A customer has to show eligibility at the time of the intended shutoff, and the utility cannot ask for a new or larger security deposit. The program is separate from a LIHEAP grant, which goes toward the heating bill itself.
Behind on a New Jersey heating bill before Nov. 15?
A first-come, first-served program rewards the household that has its paperwork ready in October. Waiting on one missing pay statement or an agency callback can push a heating-aid decision past the first cold snap and into a shutoff notice.
“The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit” is a 64-page guide for older homeowners that covers heating, cooling and home-repair help, with an application log and renewal calendar for tracking what was filed and when. Part 5, Utilities and Home Costs, is where the heat and power bill help lives.
Get the heating, cooling and home-repair help guide and its application log →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
