How Massachusetts Families Earning Over $100K Can Still Get Heating Assistance

Energy prices have been rising for months, and are expected to rise up to 50 percent higher this winter than last winter. What can Massachusetts residents do to help curb those costs and be able to heat their homes in the coming months?

Elizabeth Berube, Executive Director of Citizens for Citizens in Fall River, said in an interview on WBSM that financial help could be just a short online application away.

“You can apply online through a portal, and this program is available at every city and town in the state of Massachusetts,” Berube said. “So it doesn't matter if you live in Dighton or if you live in Fairhaven or if you live in Bellingham.”

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Heating Help That Is Income-Based, Not Asset-Based

“They’re looking at what you bring in for income or what you might get for Social Security income,” Berube said. “It’s based on gross income and family size, so we’re not penalizing anyone if you own a home or a car. It’s not asset-based. It’s how you’re actually living on the income you’re bringing in.”

For those Bristol County residents who cannot apply online, they can apply in person at PACE in New Bedford or Citizens for Citizens in Fall River, depending on where they live.

“These are for people that are out doing what they're supposed to do. They're out working every day, and they have the high cost of gas in your car, food, rent, mortgages,” Berube said. “This is for people who work or worked their entire lives and are now collecting their Social Security and a pension.”

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What Is the Massachusetts HEAP Program?

The Home Energy Assistance Program – HEAP, for short – is part of the national LIHEAP program that has been around since the 1980s. Depending on the state you live in, funds are available to help with either heating or cooling your home.

“In Massachusetts, obviously we use our money to pay for heating bills,” Berube said. “And most years, that federal funding isn’t enough, so our state of Massachusetts supplements the program, which is being done again this year by Governor (Maura) Healey.”

In fact, Healey recently announced a new program that will provide benefits for middle-income families that heat their homes with oil. When you visit the Massachusetts Heating Help website, there are two boxes: one for the HEAP program, and the other for the Middle-Income Heating Oil Relief program.

For the HEAP program, it doesn’t matter how you heat your home, whether it be oil, natural gas, electric, or any other means. Eligibility is based on the number of people in your household and your gross annual income.

Understanding HEAP Eligibility and Income Guidelines

A single person living alone can make up to $53,585 and still qualify for the assistance. For two people, it’s $70,073. For a family of four, that goes up to $103,049.

“So clearly, these guidelines are for people who are working, and they probably don't think this is for them, or there's a lot of people that say, ‘Oh, somebody needs it more,’” Berube said. “No one should feel like that, especially with the high price of everything these days, so I encourage everyone to check out that website.”

Year-Round Savings and Regulated Utility Discounts

There are also other benefits to joining the HEAP program. If your home’s electric service is provided through a regulated utility such as Eversource or National Grid, you will automatically be enrolled through the agency into a discount program, and there are other efficiency measures available to you as well. Unlike the HEAP program, which covers heating bills from November 1 through April 30, the electric service discount is for the entire 12 months of the year.

“So not only are we helping assist paying your heating bill, but we want to drive those costs down and make you live in a home that's more healthy and safe,” Berube said.

Middle-Income Heating Oil Relief Program Options

The new Middle-Income Heating Oil Relief program was announced just a few weeks ago, and is specifically for oil heat customers. Berube said she has been helping people with heating assistance for over 40 years, and during that time she has never seen home heating oil over $6 a gallon like it is now.

“You know, middle income people are struggling just as much as everybody else,” she said.

The guidelines start at $89,308 for a single-person household, and up to $171,749 for a family of four. The exact details are still being worked out and applications are expected to begin at some point in December. You can go to Mass.gov/HeatingHelp and sign up for an alert when the program is available.