Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Maryland program

Help with the electric and gas bill (Energy Assistance)

Help paying heating and electricity costs. One Maryland energy-assistance application checks both programs.

What it is

Help paying heating and electricity costs. One Maryland energy-assistance application checks both programs.

A utility bill can be harder to manage when pay drops. Maryland's Office of Home Energy Programs reviews heating and electric assistance together. You do not need to wait for a shutoff notice to discuss help.

Eligibility rules
  • You must live in Maryland. For July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027, monthly limits are $2,660 for one person, $3,607 for two, $4,553 for three, $5,500 for four, $6,447 for five and $7,393 for six.
What you get
  • A grant toward heating or electricity bills during the program year.
  • One application for the Maryland Energy Assistance Program and Electric Universal Service Program.
What the help covers
  • The grant goes to the utility and may not clear the whole balance. The same office can set up help with old debt and a year-round protection plan that depends on keeping up payments.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask your local energy assistance office about the combined application.
  2. Have recent utility bills and income information ready, including any shutoff notice.

Local Office of Home Energy Programs · 1-800-332-6347 · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • The local Office of Home Energy Programs reviews the application for the July-to-June program year.
Good to know

An energy grant does not stop shutoff by itself. A medical certificate is a separate protection when illness makes disconnection dangerous.

Other details
  • An application late in the program year falls within that same year's July-to-June period.

Federal background: LIHEAP.

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could energy assistance help with our bills while income is lower? What might it cover and leave unpaid, and could you help with the local application if we qualify?”

Why I’m asking: We need to keep the home running while treatment changes our budget.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Apply early, with the most recent utility bills.

Your social worker

The hospital social worker can point you at the local office.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The local Office of Home Energy Programs.
Ask the agency
“My child is in cancer treatment and our income has dropped. Can I apply for energy assistance now, before any turn-off notice?”

How to apply

First step: Apply through the local Office of Home Energy Programs.

  1. Apply now rather than waiting for a shutoff notice.
  2. Apply for grocery help and cash assistance in the same visit.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Apply through the local energy assistance office; one application covers both programmes.

What to gather

  • The most recent electric and gas bills
  • This month's income for everyone in the household
  • Proof of the address

How long: Processing time was not published in the material read. Apply early.

What a yes looks like

A grant credited to the utility account for the program year.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Ask which income figure was used, and whether a pay drop this month was counted.

Watch out

  • Apply before a turn-off notice arrives; the agency says so itself.
  • The programme year runs July to June, so an application late in the year covers a shorter stretch.
  • A grant does not stop a shutoff on its own. The doctor's certificate is the separate thing that does that.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

A grant toward the electric and gas bill. The income line is $2,660 a month for one person, $3,607 for two, $4,553 for three, $5,500 for four, $6,447 for five and $7,393 for six.

  • $2,660/month — Energy assistance income limit, household of 1
  • $3,607/month — Energy assistance income limit, household of 2
  • $4,553/month — Energy assistance income limit, household of 3
  • $5,500/month — Energy assistance income limit, household of 4
  • $6,447/month — Energy assistance income limit, household of 5
  • $7,393/month — Energy assistance income limit, household of 6

Covers: A grant toward the heating bill · Help with the electric bill

What it costs the family: None.

The eligibility facts, as published

Income
FY27 MEAP and EUSP generally use 200% FPL; MEAP uses the published 60%-of-state-median-income limit for households of 11 or more. At 11, MEAP is $11,627 monthly and EUSP $12,127.
Residency
Maryland
Program year
July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027

The trap: Apply before a shutoff notice arrives, not after. The agency says so itself.

Where I read this

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