The federal cash grant, administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services<\/a> (DHS), is sent directly to a household\u2019s utility provider or fuel company as credits toward monthly bills from winter to early spring. The exact billing window for the 2026-2027 season has not been released yet.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania families can receive between $200 and $1,000 based on household size, income, and fuel type. <\/p>\n New Jersey\u2019s heating assistance programs, including LIHEAP and the state-funded Universal Service Fund (USF), opened applications on Oct. 1. Households in New Jersey can receive up to $1,278 in LIHEAP benefits.<\/p>\n Who is eligible for LIHEAP in Pennsylvania?<\/p>\n Pennsylvanians with total household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty limit can apply for LIHEAP. <\/p>\n Renters and homeowners are both eligible for benefits. Applicants don\u2019t need to be on other government assistance programs or have unpaid heating bills to qualify.<\/p>\n Household income is determined by household size, which is the person or group of people who live together at one address. This includes all adults, children, relatives, and any unrelated people who live at the residence and share household expenses, according to DHS<\/a>. <\/p>\n *for every additional person, add $8,520<\/p>\n During the 2025-2026 LIHEAP season, more than 233,000 Pennsylvania households received an average $282 cash benefit<\/a>.<\/p>\n Who is LIHEAP-eligible in New Jersey?<\/p>\n New Jersey LIHEAP has different income eligibility based on the state\u2019s median income.<\/p>\n A full list of New Jersey household income eligibility is available on the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs website<\/a>. <\/p>\n Pennsylvania and New Jersey households can check their eligibility at liheapch.acf.gov\/eligibility-tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n When should you apply for LIHEAP?<\/p>\n Pennsylvanians should apply for LIHEAP as soon as applications open Nov. 2. The funding is first come, first served. <\/p>\n Households must apply for LIHEAP each year, regardless of whether they received a LIHEAP grant in the past.<\/p>\n How do you apply for LIHEAP in Pennsylvania?<\/p>\n Pennsylvanians can apply for LIHEAP on the state\u2019s online benefits portal, COMPASS<\/a>, at compass.dhs.pa.gov<\/a>, or by calling 1-866-550-4355.<\/p>\n The application deadline has not been announced yet, but will be shared closer to the start of the application window on Monday, Nov. 2.<\/p>\n How do you apply in New Jersey? <\/p>\n New Jersey LIHEAP applications opened on Oct. 1. Households can apply at energyassistance.nj.gov<\/a> or contact the local County Social Services Agency<\/a>. A full list of CSCAs can be found at nj.gov\/humanservices\/dfd\/counties<\/a>.<\/p>\n New Jersey households can also apply for the state-funded Universal Service Fund<\/a> (USF), which provides credit toward heating bills, in the same application.<\/p>\n What are LIHEAP crisis grants?<\/p>\n In addition to the standard LIHEAP grants, crisis benefits are available as soon as possible for eligible households experiencing a \u201cheating emergency.\u201d <\/p>\n Qualifying emergencies include experiencing broken heating equipment, being out of fuel or at risk of running out of fuel, having a primary or secondary heating source shut off, and facing imminent utility service termination.<\/p>\n How do you apply for a crisis grant?<\/p>\n To be eligible for a LIHEAP crisis grant, households must first apply for a standard LIHEAP grant.<\/p>\n If a household has received a LIHEAP benefit for the 2026-2027 season, contact the local county benefits office to report a heating emergency. <\/p>\n Find your County Assistance Office in Pennsylvania at pa.gov\/agencies\/dhs\/contact\/cao-information<\/a>. New Jersey County Social Services Agencies can be found at nj.gov\/humanservices\/dfd\/counties<\/a>.<\/p>\n How else can I lower my heating bills this winter?<\/p>\n If you’re not eligible for LIHEAP, or want some additional ways to keep bills lower this winter, here are some tried-and-true tips from local energy experts:<\/p>\n \tTurn down the temperature.\u00a0Peco estimates that you can\u00a0decrease your bill about 2% for every degree you lower that dial. Use sweaters and blankets, even electric ones, to keep warm. Make it a habit to turn down the thermostat even more when you leave the house or when you sleep. Erin McCarthy contributed to this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min As winter approaches, Pennsylvania\u2019s annual cash grant to help families pay heating bills…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":314162,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[128202,28,30,29],"class_list":["post-314161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-liheap-pennsylvania-heating-bills-application-2026-2027","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/314162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792964290_114_circle_outline_footer_light_theme.png\"\/)
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\n\tSeal and upgrade.\u00a0Caulk around your doors and windows,\u00a0 upgrade your insulation, and lock windows to reduce\u00a0drafts.\u00a0
\n\tClose vents in rooms you aren\u2019t using.\u00a0Also shut doors to parts of homes, including closets, that do not need to be heated.
\n\tTake advantage of the sun.\u00a0Open blinds or curtains on south-facing windows, which get the most natural light during the day, to\u00a0heat your home naturally. Close them at night to keep warmth inside.
\n\tStay on top of servicing:\u00a0Get your heating system serviced before winter begins to save money, increase its longevity, and decrease the risk of being exposed to carbon monoxide.
\n\tReplace lightbulbs:\u00a0Make\u00a0sure you\u2019re using LED bulbs.
\n\tInvest in a smart thermostat:\u00a0It\u00a0connects to your phone and allows you to control your home\u2019s temperature from afar. The device can cost $100 to $300, plus installation,\u00a0but pays off in your monthly bills. Check with your energy company before purchasing to see if it offers rebates.
\n\tGet a home energy assessment:\u00a0We learned a lot watching assessments on an apartment, a rowhouse,\u00a0and a single-family home.<\/a>\u00a0Some assessments come with a fee.<\/p>\n