If you’re facing a no-heat emergency in your home, there is assistance available to help. Below is a list of assistance programs and support services that can help in no-heat situations. The items are listed in the order we recommend you reach out to each party before moving onto the next. Many of these services require documents from other agencies for you to qualify. If you need help navigating these options, please contact your local Community Energy Advisor.
HERR - HEAP
If you are a homeowner and eligible, the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR) benefit can help you repair or replace your furnace, boiler, and other direct heating equipment necessary to keep your home's primary heating source working.
Benefit amounts are based on the actual cost incurred to repair or replace your furnace, boiler, and/or other essential heating equipment, $4,000 for a repair and $8,000 for a replacement.
You may call your Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Local District Contact to apply. An eligibility interview is required for all HERR applications but may be completed in person or by telephone. The participating Heating Equipment Repair vendor list can be obtained by accessing the HEAP Participating Vendor List. Select your county of residence and “Furnace Repair” as the fuel type and then press “Go.”
The 2024-2025 HERR benefit opened on October 1, 2024.
Emergency HEAP Benefit
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) has an Emergency HEAP Benefit. You may be eligible for an Emergency HEAP benefit if:
Your electricity is necessary for your heating system or thermostat to work and is either shut off or scheduled to be shut off or
Your electric or natural gas heat is off or scheduled to be shut-off or
You are out of fuel, or you have less than one quarter tank of fuel oil, kerosene or propane or have less than a ten (10) day supply of wood, wood pellets, corn, or other deliverable heat source.
and
Your household's gross monthly income is at or below the current income guides for your household size
You receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or
You receive Temporary Assistance (TA) or
You receive Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Living Alone and
The heating and/or electric bill is in your name and
Your household's available resources are:
less than $2,500; or
less than $3,750 if any member of your household is age 60 or older, or under age 6.
The 2024-25 Emergency HEAP Benefit opens Jan. 2, 2025. In the meantime, you can apply for regular HEAP benefits for help paying your utility bills. Learn more about the Emergency HEAP Benefit by visiting HEAP’s website. Contact your local Department of Social Services to apply for this program.
Project Share
The Project SHARE Heating Fund is designed to help income-eligible NYSEG customers with active disconnect notices in its service areas. The fund is administered by HeartShare Human Services of New York. To receive a Project SHARE Heating Fund grant, you must:
Have an active NYSEG or RG&E account
Have an active disconnect notice
Exhausted all other assistance programs, such as HEAP, Emergency HEAP and local or county emergency aid
Must have shut-off notice and denial from DSS during HEAP (they are flexible with requiring DSS denial letters).
Visit NYSEG’s website for more information.
NYSEG Customer Advocate
A NYSEG Customer Advocate provides contact, counsel, and advocacy for residential customers facing special hardships and having difficulty paying their NYSEG bill. The NYSEG Customer Advocate can also make recommendations to help solve problems and make referrals to other services provided by NYSEG and community agencies.
Request a Customer Advocate by calling the general customer helpline number: 1-800-572-1111.
If a customer is elderly (62 and over), blind, or disabled (any age) they may request the help of a Customer Advocate. If someone is on life-sustaining equipment, they should call a Customer Advocate in advance of an emergency and let the Customer Advocate know this so that, in the event of an electric outage, the Customer Advocate can assist with utility restoration as quickly as possible.
Catholic Charities
For Tompkins/Tioga County residents:
Catholic Charities Tompkins/Tioga offers Emergency Financial Assistance. They can help pay your utilities if you qualify. You need to schedule an appointment with Catholic Charities to discuss your eligibility. If you have been denied by the Department of Social Services or the utility company for emergency assistance, bring in your shut-off notice to your first appointment. Call (607) 272-5062 for Tompkins County or (607) 414-1023 for Tioga County.
For residents outside Tompkins/Tioga counties:
You can locate your local Catholic Charities by visiting https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/about-us/find-a-local-agency/. Assistance offerings vary between agencies, so we recommend calling ahead to see what is available.
Public Utility Law Project
Utility consumers often need an advocate in their corner and sometimes even legal representation to ensure fair and affordable access to service. That’s where New York’s Utility Law Project can help. They tackle common problems like getting service, preventing shutoffs, filing complaints, finding energy efficiency programs, and applying for assistance with utility bills.
The Public Utility Law Project of New York, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization, has been advocating for universal service, affordability, and customer protection for New York State utility consumers since 1981. Call 877-669-2572 or email info@utilityproject.org for more information.
United Way/2-1-1
United Way, 2-1-1, can help guide you to these resources or other services that may help with no-heat concerns.
They may also be able to tell you about assistance their organizations can offer. All Southern Tier counties can dial 2-1-1 to reach the local assistance directory. If you live outside those counties, you can locate your local United Way office by visiting United Way’s website.
ALICE Program (Tompkins County ONLY)
The United Way/2-1-1 ALICE, in collaboration with the Human Services Coalition, supports households at or below United Way's ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) thresholds. ALICE thresholds include more moderate-income households than many other programs who provide financial assistance. To learn more about ALICE, visit unitedforalice.org.
A grant of up to $500 could help your household pay for: car insurance and repairs, child care expenses, essential appliances, health insurance, phone and utility bills, rent and/or other expenses agreed upon by United Way.
Robin Fund (Tompkins County ONLY)
The Robin Fund assists people faced with a financial crisis. A grant or loan from the Robin Fund can be made quickly and without a lot of red tape. Contact Carl Feuer at carlfeuer@gmail.com or 607-272-3622 to apply.