Delaware Energy Assistance Program 2026: DEAP Limits

Comparing Delaware with other states? Our LIHEAP income limits guide lists every state's cutoff; the rest of this guide sticks to Delaware.

DEAP pays your utility or fuel company. Catholic Charities' own reminder is blunt: being eligible doesn't guarantee a benefit, because funding is limited and depends on how many people apply.

Delaware DEAP 2026-27 at a Glance: 4 Kinds of Help

Delaware runs 4 kinds of energy help, and it's one of the few Mid-Atlantic states that budgets real money for summer cooling. Delaware's FY2026 plan put 37.6% of LIHEAP funds into heating, 20% into cooling, 20% into year-round crisis, 10% into weatherization, 7% into administration and 3% into carryover.

Sources: DHSS Utility Assistance page; Catholic Charities PY2027 income and benefit guidelines and 2027 application; Delaware FY2026 LIHEAP plan, sections 1.2, 3.6 and 4.9.

Delaware DEAP Income Limits for 2026-27 (60% of State Median Income)

Delaware's limit is $77,654 a year for a family of four, or 60% of the state's $129,424 median income, according to ACF's FY2027 state median income table. That's well above most states' LIHEAP cutoffs, because Delaware uses median income rather than a poverty-line test.

Sources: yearly figures from the Delaware Energy Assistance Program Year 2027 Income and Benefit Guidelines published by Catholic Charities, which match ACF's FY2027 state median income table (opens in a new tab) for Delaware. Monthly figures are Grantsights arithmetic. The guidelines list sizes up to 12 ($116,481). Effective for Program Year 2027, October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

When the figures change next. ACF's table became mandatory for LIHEAP on October 1, 2026. Expect new Program Year 2028 limits for applications that open in summer 2027, built from ACF's FY2028 median income table.

How Delaware counts income. DHSS says eligibility is capped at 60% of state median income "after federal and local taxes," so bring documents that show deductions, not just gross pay. Catholic Charities asks for 3 months of income proof for every adult: pay stubs (or a year-to-date stub if you've been at the same job a year or more), Social Security or SSI award letters, pension statements, a 12-month printout for unemployment or child support, and TANF or General Assistance proof.

Who isn't eligible. The PY2027 guidelines say households whose heat is included in the rent aren't eligible. If you pay your own heat in subsidized housing, you get a flat benefit (see below). For food help with the same paperwork, see our Delaware SNAP guide, and for health coverage, our Delaware Medicaid income limits guide.

How Much DEAP Pays: Benefits by Fuel Type

Delaware's PY2027 benefit range runs from $100 to $2,496, and fuel type matters as much as income. Delivered fuels get far more because they cost more to heat a home through a Delaware winter.

Source: Delaware Energy Assistance Program Year 2027 Income and Benefit Guidelines (Catholic Charities). If subsidized rent is over $685 a month, the regular matrix applies.

The guidelines say the exact amount depends on household income, household size and energy type. Delaware's FY2026 plan explains how the matrix is built: it weights fuels by average Delaware heating costs from U.S. Energy Information Administration price data and uses Delaware's home energy burden data from the federal performance report. The state doesn't publish the full PY2027 matrix, so you won't know your exact award until you get the eligibility letter. The plan says the state tries to send that letter within 7 business days once the benefit is funded.

Worked example. For example, a family of three in Dover earning $3,000 a month ($36,000 a year) heats a rented townhouse with electricity. Their income is about $29,000 under the $65,229 limit for three, so they qualify, and their electric heating benefit would fall between $170 and $1,346. A retired couple in rural Sussex County living on $2,400 a month in Social Security, heating with propane, would land between $314 and $2,496, and with both spouses over 60 their application gets 2 priority points (see below). If their tank drops to 10% in January, they can file a crisis application on top of the heating benefit.

Who gets funded first. Delaware's FY2026 plan describes a scoring system: one point for each household member who's 60 or older, one for each child under 6 and one for each person with a disability. Certified applications with the highest scores are funded first, and zero-point applications are funded last, only while money lasts. That's why Catholic Charities warns that eligibility alone doesn't guarantee a payment, and why applying in August or September beats applying in February.

Season Dates and Deadlines for 2026-27

Delaware's 2027 winter application window is 8 months long, from August 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, according to the PY2027 application. Here's the calendar.

Federal funding status. Delaware's first FY2027 LIHEAP allocation is $12,374,838, according to ACF's state allotment table (opens in a new tab). ACF sent that money on October 9, 2026 under a stopgap spending law (Public Law 119-103, signed September 2, 2026) and says the $3,631,860,000 national release is 90% of what that law provides. ACF restricts funds for any state without an approved FY2027 plan; Delaware's FY2027 plan wasn't on the LIHEAP Clearinghouse's plan list on November 3, 2026, though its PY2027 guidelines are already published. Whether Delaware gets the remaining 10% and any full-year increase depends on Congress. For scale, the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, an ACF-funded resource, lists Delaware's full FY2026 funding at $13,955,416.

How to Apply for Delaware Energy Assistance: 3 Ways

Delaware has 3 ways to apply, and Catholic Charities handles intake in all 3 counties.

1. Online through ASSIST. DHSS's ASSIST Self-Service Portal (opens in a new tab) takes LIHEAP applications any time, along with SNAP and other state programs.
2. By mail. Download the 2027 application from Catholic Charities, fill in every field, sign and date it, and mail it with copies of your documents to your county office. Catholic Charities says documents can't be returned, so send copies.
3. By phone or in person. Call your county office between 9 AM and 4 PM.

DHSS also lists First State Community Action Agency in Georgetown at 1-800-372-2240, and DHSS's Division of Social Services takes program questions at (302) 255-9875. Per the FY2026 plan, elderly and disabled applicants can apply by mail or phone, and an intake contractor works in the field.

Documents to have ready (from the 2027 application):

• Photo ID for all adults, with proof of a Delaware address
• Social Security cards (or an SSA letter) for everyone over 6 months old; Catholic Charities says no other proof of the number is accepted
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or qualified alien status for each member
• 3 months of income proof for every adult
• Current heating and electric bills showing your address and account numbers
• Your lease, a Landlord Verification form, subsidized rent recertification, or proof you own the home
• A class schedule for any household member 18 or older in college

A common mistake is mailing an application with one missing piece. The 2027 application says it can't be completed if any information is missing, which stalls your place in the funding line.

Crisis Help and Shutoff Protection: Delaware's 35-Degree Rule

Delaware's FY2026 plan commits to resolving an energy crisis within 48 hours, and within 18 hours when it's life-threatening, such as a household member on life support or a required oxygen or CPAP machine.

What counts as a crisis, according to DHSS: a utility shutoff or disconnection notice, a fuel tank at or below 10%, or past-due energy bills. Crisis help can be used alongside the heating benefit. The FY2026 plan caps regular crisis help per household per year at $2,500 for delivered fuel, $2,500 for gas or electric, and $10,000 for emergency repair or replacement of heating equipment. The plan also waived Delaware's usual temperature trigger for crisis filing (forecasts of 40 degrees or below, or a 95-degree heat index) for the 2026 program year; check with Catholic Charities whether that waiver carries into 2027.

Delaware's shutoff law. In 2025 Delaware rewrote its utility termination rules in House Substitute 1 for House Bill 62, signed May 22, 2025 and effective August 20, 2025 (85 Del. Laws c. 24). The main protections:

Source: 85 Del. Laws c. 24 (opens in a new tab), amending 26 Del. C. § 117 and the electric company rules. The law also brings municipal electric utilities under these termination rules.

If you think a regulated utility broke these rules, contact the Delaware Public Service Commission (opens in a new tab) at 302-736-7500 or 800-282-8574.

Weatherization, Cooling and Utility Funds That Stack With DEAP

At least 4 other programs stack on top of a DEAP heating benefit, and the LIHEAP application itself is the key to several of them.

• Summer Cooling Assistance. A one-time payment toward summer electric bills, plus a free window air conditioner for households with demonstrated need. You must have applied for LIHEAP during the program year. Per the FY2026 plan, the cooling benefit is split equally among eligible households, the air conditioners go to households with a member 60 or older, under 6 or disabled, and the FY2026 cooling application window ran April 1 to August 15.
• Weatherization. DNREC runs Delaware's free Weatherization Assistance Program (opens in a new tab), which can include insulation, weather-stripping, HVAC upgrades and window and door work. Call (302) 735-3480, and check the weatherization box on your LIHEAP application. For roof or structural repairs, see our home repair grants guide.
• Furnace repair or replacement. The FY2026 plan says crisis funds can fix or replace heating equipment when no other state program, including weatherization, can solve it, up to $10,000.
• Utility relief funds. Catholic Charities points to the Delaware Utility Relief Fund and Delmarva Power Customer Relief Fund through Energize Delaware. According to the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, Chesapeake Utilities' Sharing Program helps elderly, disabled and fixed-income households with winter heating costs, administered by Catholic Charities in Kent and New Castle counties and the Salvation Army in Sussex.

Delaware's FY2027 LIHEAP Money Per Resident

Delaware's first FY2027 LIHEAP release is $12,374,838. Grantsights analysis of ACF's October 9, 2026 allotment table and Census Bureau July 1, 2025 population estimates found Delaware received $11.67 per resident, a little above the $10.44 figure for the 50 states and D.C., and 26th of 51.

Delaware per-resident math uses ACF's FY2027 first-release table and the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 state estimates (opens in a new tab). Rank excludes territories.

Specifically, Delaware's first release equals about $1,403 for each of the 8,820 households the LIHEAP Clearinghouse says got heating help in FY2024, though cooling (9,626 households that year) and crisis (3,944) draw from the same pot. If Delaware keeps the FY2026 split, about $4.65 million of this release goes to heating and about $2.47 million to year-round crisis. Neighbors can compare with our Maryland energy assistance guide, New Jersey guide and Pennsylvania LIHEAP guide.

What DHSS's Energy Assistance Page Doesn't Tell You

DHSS's page lists the components and the phone numbers, but 6 things are easy to miss.

1. Funding goes by priority score, not just first come. Older adults, young children and people with disabilities each add a point, and high-score applications are funded first. A household with no points that applies late is the most likely to get nothing.
2. The application opens in summer. The 2027 window opened August 1, 2026. Filing then puts you in line before the winter rush.
3. Heat in rent means no benefit. Unlike many states, Delaware's PY2027 guidelines rule out households whose heat is included in rent.
4. The temperature rule changed in 2025. Older guides cite a 32-degree cutoff and a November 15 start. The 2025 law raised it to 35 degrees, moved the heating season start to November 1 and added the December 21 to January 1 holiday ban.
5. Summer help depends on a winter application. You can't get cooling assistance or a free air conditioner without a LIHEAP application in the same program year.
6. Keep paying your plan. Catholic Charities tells applicants to keep paying budget or deferment plans while they wait, because breaking a utility agreement can still lead to a shutoff.

Common Mistakes and Scam Red Flags

These 5 mistakes cost Delaware households the most, based on the PY2027 application and state law:

• Sending an incomplete packet. No Social Security card for a baby over 6 months, or a missing lease, stops processing.
• Waiting for a 10% tank. Propane and oil dealers need delivery time. Apply for heating help early so the benefit is already on your account.
• Assuming a cold morning stops every shutoff. The 35-degree rule only applies on a day when the 8:00 AM reading at your county's airport is 35 or below.
• Not sending the medical form. The 120-day medical protection only starts once the utility receives a signed statement from your provider.
• Forgetting to report changes. The application requires you to notify the provider of changes within 10 days.

Scam red flags. The FTC's guidance on fake utility company callers (opens in a new tab) says real utilities won't demand payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or payment app. Red flags in Delaware:

• A caller threatening to shut off your Delmarva Power service tonight; Delaware utilities can't disconnect after 4:00 PM or on Fridays
• Anyone charging a fee to fill out a DEAP application; Catholic Charities and ASSIST are free
• A shutoff threat between December 21 and January 1, when state law bars nonpayment shutoffs
• A text promising DEAP cash; benefits are paid to the utility or fuel company

Hang up and dial the customer service number printed on your Delmarva or Chesapeake bill. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab) and to the Delaware Department of Justice Consumer Protection Unit.

If You're Denied or Funds Run Out: 4 Next Steps

Delaware's FY2026 plan reports 9 fair hearings in the prior year, with none reversing the original decision, so the informal conference is often your best shot at a fix.

1. Ask for an agency conference. Call the Catholic Charities office that handled your case. Staff and a supervisor review how the decision was made and can take new information.
2. Request a formal fair hearing if the conference doesn't resolve it. You can appeal a denial, a benefit change, the form of payment, undue delay, or a refused correction to your file, and bring an attorney, relative or friend.
3. Ask about crisis help even if the regular heating money is gone; crisis is a year-round component with its own budget.
4. Look past DEAP. Call Delaware 211 for local help with utilities, rent and food. Our rental assistance guide covers rent help, and our emergency cash assistance guide covers one-time aid. Older Delawareans can check our help for seniors guide, and our Lifeline guide covers a discounted phone line.

Our national LIHEAP guide explains the federal side, including how Congress's funding timeline reaches Delaware.

Not sure which programs a Delaware household qualifies for? Grantsights' free eligibility checker asks a few questions: choose "Individual," then "Personal financial help," and it lists official routes for bills, rent, food and benefits screening, not grants. For a heating or electric bill in Delaware, the route it points to is DEAP through Catholic Charities.

Sources

1. Delaware DHSS: Utility Assistance (LIHEAP, DEAP) (opens in a new tab) - components, income basis, crisis triggers, cooling, weatherization, intake partners
2. Delaware DHSS: LIHEAP heating and cooling assistance (opens in a new tab)
3. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington: Energy Assistance (opens in a new tab) - Delaware county offices, documents, PY2027 guidelines and application
4. Delaware PY2027 LIHEAP Income and Benefit Guidelines (Catholic Charities) (opens in a new tab)
5. Delaware 2027 LIHEAP application (Catholic Charities) (opens in a new tab) - August 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 window
6. Delaware FY2026 LIHEAP Detailed Model Plan (via LIHEAP Clearinghouse) (opens in a new tab) - fund split, priority scoring, crisis caps, cooling, fair hearings
7. LIHEAP Clearinghouse: Delaware profile (opens in a new tab) - FY2026 funding, households served, Chesapeake Utilities Sharing Program
8. Delaware General Assembly: HS 1 for HB 62 (85 Del. Laws c. 24), Delaware utility termination law (opens in a new tab)
9. Delaware Public Service Commission (opens in a new tab)
10. DNREC: Delaware Weatherization Assistance Program (opens in a new tab)
11. Delaware DHSS: ASSIST portal (opens in a new tab)
12. ACF: LIHEAP State Median Income table, FY2027 (opens in a new tab) - Delaware 60% SMI
13. ACF: FY2027 first LIHEAP release notice behind Delaware's first payment (opens in a new tab)
14. ACF: FY2027 first release by state, including Delaware's $12,374,838 (opens in a new tab)
15. Census Bureau population file used for Delaware's per-resident math (opens in a new tab)
16. FTC guidance on utility impostors, cited for Delaware scam warnings (opens in a new tab)