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

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Ohio program

Help with heating costs and energy emergencies (HEAP)

Ohio's Home Energy Assistance Program gives eligible households a credit on the main heating bill.

What it is

Ohio's Home Energy Assistance Program gives eligible households a credit on the main heating bill.

Regular HEAP provides a one-time heating-bill credit. Crisis programs address qualifying seasonal emergencies. The local energy-help agency checks income, bills and the rules for the type of help requested.

Eligibility rules
  • The line is 175% of the poverty level, judged on the last 30 days of income: about $4,747 for a family of four (2026–27 season). The agency decides who counts in the household.
  • Regular HEAP applications for this season run July 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027.
  • Winter Crisis can help with a qualifying shutoff, disconnection, new or transferred service, certain PIPP problems or a bulk-fuel tank at 25% or less. Summer Crisis can help when someone in the household is 60 or older, has a documented qualifying medical condition, or meets a listed electric-service emergency condition. A child's medical need can qualify for review, but a cancer diagnosis alone does not approve an award. The local agency checks income, fuel type, bills, any medical certification and what balance the family must still cover.
What you get
  • A credit on the main heating bill for a qualifying household.
  • Separate winter or summer crisis help when its conditions are met.
What this covers
  • The benefit goes toward the heating bill rather than arriving as spending cash.
  • Summer Crisis can pay up to $500 on a regulated electric bill, or $800 with a municipal or co-op utility. Winter Crisis pays up to $175 on a regulated gas or electric bill, $750 for an unregulated utility, and up to $1,200 for propane, oil or kerosene.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask your local community action agency about the Ohio energy-assistance application.
  2. Have the last 30 days of income and utility bills ready, including any shutoff notice.
  3. If a shutoff is threatened, ask the agency about crisis help and the clinic about a medical certificate.

Your local community action or energy-assistance agency · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • The agency reviews the application; an approval results in a bill credit or crisis payment.
  • Regular HEAP may take up to 12 weeks to process. If this help fits your situation, the social worker can help you use Ohio's energy-assistance application or contact the local community action agency. A threatened shutoff needs a separate crisis appointment and confirmation of any utility hold; a regular application alone is not a promise that service will stay on. ODJFS's Office of Community Support Services administers the current program.
Good to know

The 30-day income figure is not the same as annual income divided by 12. Crisis help also has its own seasons.

Other details
  • Summer Crisis 2026 runs July 1 through September 30. Winter Crisis 2026–27 runs November 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. Summer help does not generally cover PIPP defaults or a first PIPP payment.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could HEAP or crisis help lower our energy bill, and what would we still owe? Could you help us choose the right application for our situation?”

Why I’m asking: I want to keep our home safe during treatment without falling further behind on energy bills.

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 with 30 days of income and the utility bills. Ask for a crisis appointment if a shutoff is threatened.

Your social worker

The social worker helps get the medical certificate that stops a shutoff while the application is pending.

The care team

Signs the medical certificate if a shutoff is threatened.

Who decides
ODJFS Office of Community Support Services through local community action agencies
Ask the agency
“For 2026–27, HEAP uses 175% of poverty for households of one through seven and 60% of state median income for eight or more. The agency reviews the applicable 30-day or annual income period. Regular HEAP is a heating-bill credit; seasonal crisis help has separate conditions.”

How to apply

First step: For 2026–27, HEAP uses 175% of poverty for households of one through seven and 60% of state median income for eight or more. The agency reviews the applicable 30-day or annual income period. Regular HEAP is a heating-bill credit; seasonal crisis help has separate conditions.

  1. Apply the month income drops; bring 30 days of income.
  2. If service is off or threatened, ask for a Winter or Summer Crisis appointment.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: For 2026–27, HEAP uses 175% of poverty for households of one through seven and 60% of state median income for eight or more. The agency reviews the applicable 30-day or annual income period. Regular HEAP is a heating-bill credit; seasonal crisis help has separate conditions.

What to gather

  • 30 days of income for everyone at home
  • Utility bills and account numbers
  • Shutoff notice if any

How long: Regular HEAP may take up to 12 weeks to process. A threatened shutoff needs the local crisis appointment process and confirmation of any utility hold.

What a yes looks like

A credit posted on the heating bill. For crisis help, a payment to the utility.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Ask which 30 days of income they used, and whether PIPP Plus or the medical certificate applies instead.

Watch out

  • The test is the last 30 days of income. Apply the month a paycheck stops.
  • Crisis help has its own seasons: November 1 to March 31, and July 1 to September 30.
  • Applications for this season close May 31, 2027.

Dates that change this

2026-07-01: Regular HEAP applications run July 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027. The income table is the 2026 Ohio Consumers' Counsel sheet (OCC).

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 9, 2026.

What it is worth

For 2026–27, HEAP uses 175% of poverty for households of one through seven and 60% of state median income for eight or more. The agency reviews the applicable 30-day or annual income period. Regular HEAP is a heating-bill credit; seasonal crisis help has separate conditions.

  • $175 — Income ceiling
  • $4,746.58 — Family of 4, 30-day income ceiling
  • $57,750/year — Family of 4, yearly income ceiling

Covers: One-time credit to the primary heating source once per winter heating season · Winter Crisis Program (November 1 to March 31) and Summer Crisis Program (July 1 to September 30)

What it costs the family: None.

The eligibility facts, as published

Income
For 2026–27, HEAP uses 175% of poverty for households of one through seven and 60% of state median income for eight or more. The agency reviews the applicable 30-day or annual income period. Regular HEAP is a heating-bill credit; seasonal crisis help has separate conditions.
Season
Regular HEAP applications July 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027
Crisis
Winter Crisis can help with a qualifying shutoff, disconnection, new or transferred service, certain PIPP problems or a bulk-fuel tank at 25% or less. Summer Crisis can help when someone in the household is 60 or older, has a documented qualifying medical condition, or meets a listed electric-service emergency condition. A child's medical need can qualify for review, but a cancer diagnosis alone does not approve an award. The local agency checks income, fuel type, bills, any medical certification and what balance the family must still cover.

Decisions this site cannot make: Local energy-assistance provider determination

Expect friction on: 30-day income proof · Crisis appointments

The trap: For 2026–27, HEAP uses 175% of poverty for households of one through seven and 60% of state median income for eight or more. The agency reviews the applicable 30-day or annual income period. Regular HEAP is a heating-bill credit; seasonal crisis help has separate conditions.

Where I read this

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