LIHEAP California 2026: Income Limits and How to Apply

There's no "free California energy grant" you can claim by text or social media. LIHEAP is applied for locally and paid mostly to your utility or fuel vendor. For general federal background, see our national LIHEAP guide.

California LIHEAP at a Glance: HEAP, ECIP and Weatherization

California's LIHEAP has five parts, according to CSD's LIHEAP page (opens in a new tab), and the first three are the ones people apply for:

The 2027 draft plan lists five crisis activities: Fast Track utility payments, ECIP wood, propane and oil payments, heating and cooling services, Severe Weather Energy Assistance and Transportation Services (SWEATS), and a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) preparedness program for medically vulnerable households in high fire risk areas. SWEATS can cover temporary housing, transportation, fans, coolers, heaters and battery backup after a natural disaster or a power shutoff.

How many people it reaches. CSD's FFY2025 household report (opens in a new tab) counts 146,843 households served from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025:

The common mistake is assuming crisis help is a backup. In California, crisis help served nearly as many households as heating help in FFY2025, and the FY2026 plan budgets 38% of funds for year-round crisis assistance against 16% for heating and 6% for cooling. If you have a shutoff notice, say so up front.

California LIHEAP Income Limits for 2026

California uses the highest income limit federal law allows: 60% of state median income for every household size, per the FY2026 and draft FY2027 state plans. CSD's income eligibility page (opens in a new tab) publishes this table, labeled 2026 LIHEAP Income Eligibility:

Yearly figures are the monthly limit times 12, calculated by Grantsights. CSD says eligibility can vary by income source and other factors and tells applicants to confirm with the local agency.

Here's what the 2027 draft plan adds about how income is counted:

• Gross income, not take-home pay. Wages, self-employment, unemployment, Social Security, SSI, pensions, CalWORKs, child support, alimony, rental income, interest and VA benefits all count.
• No assets test. The 2027 draft plan answers "No" for heating and cooling, so savings don't disqualify you.
• CalFresh or CalWORKs makes you categorically eligible. If anyone in the household gets CalFresh (SNAP) or CalWORKs (TANF) when you apply, you skip the full income verification. California doesn't use SSI for categorical eligibility in the 2027 draft plan. See our CalWORKs guide and SNAP guide if you might qualify for those.
• Renters can apply. The plan doesn't set different rules for renters, including renters in subsidized housing or with utilities in the rent, though your provider will need to see who pays the energy bill.

Meeting the limit doesn't guarantee a benefit. CSD's page says federal funding is limited and providers prioritize particularly vulnerable households. Under the state plan, providers score each applicant and give extra points for a household member 60 or older, a member with a disability, a child 5 or younger, or a high energy burden.

How Much California LIHEAP Pays, by County

California's heating benefit range for FY2026 is $94 to $1,500, the cooling range is $283 to $932, and year-round crisis help can reach $1,500, according to the Final 2026 LIHEAP State Plan (opens in a new tab). The Draft 2027 plan (opens in a new tab) keeps heating at $94 to $1,500 and lists cooling at $246 to $887.

HEAP payments are set by formula. CSD surveys utility rates by county every year, and the plan sets a county "base benefit" for a one-person household in four poverty groups. Base amounts fall as income rises: Group I gets the most and Group IV the least. Household sizes 2 through 6 each add $19, and sizes above 6 get the size-6 amount. For Fast Track crisis payments, the provider can add a supplement, but the total can't exceed the full utility bill (including reconnection fees) or $1,500, whichever is less.

Draft 2027 HEAP and Fast Track base benefits for a one-person household in the most populous counties:

Source: 2027 LIHEAP County Base Benefit Amounts table in CSD's Draft 2027 LIHEAP State Plan. Draft figures; the final plan may differ. Provider names are as written in the plan.

Specifically, a four-person household in Los Angeles County in Group I would start from $512 under the draft table ($455 plus three $19 steps). The highest Group I base in the table is Nevada County's $792 and the lowest is San Luis Obispo County's $412.

Wood, propane and oil users have a separate table. The plan's formulas use county heating degree days, and the wood, propane and oil maximum is $1,000 plus up to a $500 supplement if needed for delivery. Draft 2027 one-person Group I amounts range from $136 in Imperial County to $1,000 in Mono County, and households with a vulnerable member get $105 more on the liquid fuel table.

How to Find Your County Provider and Apply

California has no single statewide online application. The 2027 draft plan says a PDF application is available, some local providers run their own online and mobile-friendly applications, phone applications are possible, and in-person appointments aren't required. Here's the route:

1. Find your provider. Use CSD's Find Services in Your Area map (opens in a new tab), pick your county or city, and choose the Energy Bill Assistance and Weatherization Provider. Los Angeles and San Diego counties have more than one provider, so search by city. If the map doesn't work for you, call CSD's call center at (866) 675-6623 or dial 211.
2. Ask what's open. Providers decide intake dates and priority within the state plan, and money runs out. Ask whether they're taking HEAP applications now and how they handle a shutoff notice.
3. Gather documents. Expect ID, proof of gross income for everyone in the home, and a recent utility bill or propane, oil or wood invoice. If anyone gets CalFresh or CalWORKs, bring the notice.
4. Apply by the provider's method. That may be online, by phone, by mail, by email, or in person.
5. Watch your bill. CSD processes HEAP and Fast Track utility payments centrally to the gas or electric company; for wood, propane and oil, the local provider pays the vendor. Your provider sends you a letter with the amount.

Crisis timelines. The 2027 draft plan's provider contract requires a payment guarantee to the utility or a fuel payment within 48 hours after a household applies and is found eligible for ECIP, or within 18 hours if the situation is life-threatening. If you have no heat, no cooling during extreme heat, or a disconnect notice, say "energy crisis" when you call.

If you're denied, CSD has a Filing an Appeal page (opens in a new tab). Ask the provider for the reason in writing first.

CARE, FERA and ESA: California's Utility Discounts

LIHEAP is a one-time payment. California's bigger, steadier help for many families is a monthly discount from the utility itself, overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Enroll in both. Being on LIHEAP is one of the ways to qualify for CARE.

According to the CPUC's CARE/FERA page (opens in a new tab), with income limits effective June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027:

• CARE gives a 30% to 35% electric discount and a 20% natural gas discount. CARE customers also pay a reduced $6 monthly Base Services Charge instead of $24.15. You can qualify through income or by being enrolled in Medi-Cal, WIC, CalFresh, LIHEAP, SSI, CalWORKs or Tribal TANF, free school lunch, or Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance. Smaller utilities with fewer than 100,000 accounts offer 20%.
• FERA gives an 18% electric discount to families slightly above CARE limits, and the CPUC lists it only for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. FERA customers pay a $12 Base Services Charge.
• ESA (Energy Savings Assistance) provides no-cost weatherization, such as attic insulation, refrigerators, furnaces, weatherstripping and water heater blankets, up to 250% of poverty, according to the CPUC's ESA page (opens in a new tab).

Apply for CARE and FERA through your utility: PG&E 1-866-743-2273, SCE 1-800-655-4555, SDG&E 1-800-411-7343, SoCalGas 1-800-427-2200. If you get your power from a city utility such as LADWP or SMUD, the CPUC doesn't regulate it; ask that utility about its own low-income discount.

Shutoff Rules and Other Utility Help in California

Weather-based protection. The LIHEAP Clearinghouse disconnection table (opens in a new tab), citing CPUC Decision 20-06-003, lists California's protections as temperature-based: when temperatures are forecast at 32°F or below, or 100°F or above, within the next 72 hours. California has no date-based winter or summer moratorium. Customers on life support or critical care can be protected if a licensed physician or health care provider signs the utility's certification form.

Payment plans and restarting service. The CPUC's payment plan page (opens in a new tab) says to call the utility first, then the CPUC Consumer Affairs Branch at 1-800-649-7570 if the utility can't help. To restart after a shutoff, the CPUC says utilities usually require half the past-due bill, a deposit of up to twice your highest monthly bill in the last 12 months, and a 12-month plan for the rest. That's why a LIHEAP or Fast Track payment before the shutoff date is worth chasing.

Utility hardship funds. The CPUC's utility emergency assistance page (opens in a new tab) lists PG&E's REACH program, Edison's Energy Assistance Fund, SoCalGas's Gas Assistance Fund (run by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles), and SDG&E's Neighbor to Neighbor fund, which has no income requirement for temporary hardship.

Programs that have ended. CSD's 2022 CAPP page (opens in a new tab) says the California Arrearage Payment Program covered unpaid bills from March 4, 2020 to December 31, 2021, and customers didn't apply; utilities applied credits for them. It's over. CSD's LIHWAP page (opens in a new tab) says the water bill program sunset March 31, 2024 and isn't accepting applications. A site still taking "applications" for either is a red flag.

California's LIHEAP Funding Compared With Other States

According to USAspending.gov FY2025 data, California received $240,593,016 in LIHEAP obligations (Assistance Listing 93.568), second only to New York's $399,996,357. Grantsights analysis of USAspending.gov FY2025 obligations found that works out to $6.11 per Californian, about half the $11.94 average for the 50 states and D.C., using Census Bureau 2025 population estimates.

Only Arizona ($4.43), Florida ($4.95), Nevada ($5.08) and Texas ($6.09) received less LIHEAP money per resident, and only Hawaii received less weatherization money per resident.

Newer figures from CSD: California's FY2026 LIHEAP grant was $236,769,308, and for FY2027 the state had received about $213.4 million as of October 9, 2026, according to CSD's LIHEAP page (opens in a new tab). The national release on that date was 90% of the funds available under the current stopgap law, as the national LIHEAP guide explains.

What CSD's LIHEAP Pages Don't Tell You

1. Being eligible isn't the same as being served. About 146,843 households got help in FFY2025, in a state where the income limit for four is $76,885.92 a year. Providers rank applicants by points. If you're 60 or older, disabled, caring for a young child, or paying a large share of income for energy, say so.
2. The base benefit is often a few hundred dollars. The draft 2027 Group I base for one person in Los Angeles County is $455, and the $1,500 figure is a ceiling for crisis and supplements. Pair LIHEAP with CARE or FERA, which lower every bill.
3. Crisis help is California's biggest LIHEAP line. The FY2026 plan puts 38% of funds into year-round crisis help. A disconnect notice is a reason to call now, not a reason to be embarrassed.
4. The CPUC can't help with municipal utilities. If LADWP, SMUD or another city utility serves you, CPUC complaint and payment-plan help doesn't apply. Ask the city utility directly.
5. Weather protection is narrow. It depends on a 72-hour forecast of 32°F or below or 100°F or above. On a mild day, a shutoff can go ahead.
6. Old program names attract scams. CAPP and LIHWAP have ended. Anyone collecting fees or Social Security numbers for them isn't legitimate.

Avoid California Utility and LIHEAP Scams

The FTC's page on scammers who pretend to be your utility company (opens in a new tab) says utilities don't demand same-day payment to avoid disconnection, and that requests for gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or payment apps are warning signs. The FTC's government grant scams page (opens in a new tab) says offers of free government grant money for household bills are scams.

Warning signs in California:

• A caller says PG&E, Edison or SoCalGas will cut power within the hour unless you pay by gift card or app
• A text offers a "California energy grant" or "LIHEAP stimulus" you didn't apply for
• Someone charges a fee to file your LIHEAP or CARE application
• A site asks for your Social Security number before naming your county provider

Hang up and call the number on your bill. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

If you're not sure which other programs fit, Grantsights' free eligibility checker starts by asking who you are. Pick "Individual" and then "Personal financial help" and it won't show you grants; it sends you to official routes such as the USA.gov benefit finder, rental help, help with bills and food help, and to the 211 line. For rent, see our rental assistance guide; for repairs and weatherization, see our home repair grants guide; and if you're 60 or older, see our help for seniors guide.

FAQ: California LIHEAP

Who runs LIHEAP in California?

CSD runs it through 41 local service providers listed in the 2027 draft plan. Apply to the provider for your county, found on CSD's Find Services in Your Area map, or call (866) 675-6623.

What are the LIHEAP income limits in California?

CSD's current table allows up to $3,331.66 a month for one person and $6,407.16 for four, which is 60% of state median income. CalFresh or CalWORKs households are categorically eligible.

How much does LIHEAP pay in California?

The FY2026 plan sets heating at $94 to $1,500, cooling at $283 to $932, and crisis help up to $1,500. Draft 2027 county base amounts for one person in the lowest-income group run from $412 to $792.

What is the difference between HEAP and ECIP?

HEAP is a one-time payment toward your energy bill. ECIP covers emergencies such as disconnect notices, shutoffs, empty fuel tanks, and broken or unsafe heating and cooling equipment.

Is the California Arrearage Payment Program still open?

No. CAPP covered 2020 to 2021 pandemic-era utility debt and is over, and LIHWAP water help ended March 31, 2024.

What are CARE and FERA?

They're CPUC-overseen utility discounts. CARE takes 30% to 35% off electricity and 20% off gas up to 200% of poverty ($66,000 for four); FERA takes 18% off electricity up to 250% of poverty ($82,500 for four).

Is a text offering a California LIHEAP grant real?

No. Apply only through your county provider, never pay a fee, and report offers at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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Sources

1. CSD Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (opens in a new tab) - components, funding status, CARE/FERA summary
2. CSD LIHEAP Income Eligibility (opens in a new tab) - 2026 income table
3. CSD Final 2026 LIHEAP State Plan (opens in a new tab) - benefit ranges, fund shares, priority points
4. CSD Draft 2027 LIHEAP State Plan (opens in a new tab) - county base benefits, application methods, crisis rules, 41 providers
5. CSD 2025 LIHEAP Household Report (opens in a new tab) - FFY2025 households served
6. CSD Find Services in Your Area (opens in a new tab) - county provider map
7. CSD LIHWAP (opens in a new tab) and 2022 CAPP (opens in a new tab) - ended programs
8. CPUC CARE/FERA (opens in a new tab) and ESA (opens in a new tab) - discounts and income limits
9. CPUC payment plans (opens in a new tab), service restart (opens in a new tab) and utility emergency assistance (opens in a new tab)
10. LIHEAP Clearinghouse disconnect policies (opens in a new tab) - California weather and medical protections
11. FTC: Scammers Pretend To Be Your Utility Company (opens in a new tab)
12. USAspending.gov award search (opens in a new tab) - FY2025 obligations for 93.568 and 81.042