New Jersey Energy Assistance 2026: LIHEAP and USF

For the national picture, including how other states set their lines, see our LIHEAP income limits by state page. This guide covers what's specific to New Jersey.

New Jersey's 5 Energy Programs at a Glance

New Jersey runs at least 5 separate programs that pay part of a home energy bill, and one DCAid application opens two of them. Here's how they compare for the 2026-27 season.

Sources: DCA FFY 2027 LIHEAP/USF fact sheet (opens in a new tab), DCA annual income guidelines (opens in a new tab), BPU utility assistance programs (opens in a new tab), and the Division of Aging Services Lifeline page (opens in a new tab).

The order matters. The BPU says that if you're income eligible for USF and LIHEAP, you should apply for those first and only then turn to PAGE. Lifeline is a separate application through NJSave and doesn't count against LIHEAP.

New Jersey LIHEAP and USF Income Limits for 2026-27

New Jersey sets one line, 60% of state median income, for both LIHEAP and USF. According to DCA's FFY 2027 fact sheet, these gross income limits apply to applications from October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Source: DCA FFY 2027 LIHEAP/USF fact sheet (opens in a new tab), checked November 3, 2026. The same table appears on DCA's annual income guidelines page.

Those limits went up from last season. DCA's FFY 2026 fact sheet listed $8,014 a month ($96,165 a year) for a family of four, so the new line is $203 a month higher. DCA resets the chart for each federal fiscal year, which starts October 1, so the next change is due for the FFY 2028 season starting October 1, 2027.

How New Jersey counts income, per its FY2027 LIHEAP handbook:

• It's monthly and gross. Your countable monthly income before taxes is compared to the table. Pay stubs or other proof must cover four consecutive weeks within the 60 days before you sign.
• Some income is left out. SNAP benefits, Social Security paid to children under 18, veterans' benefits (with proof), student grants and loans, and USF or Lifeline benefits don't count.
• Assets don't matter. The handbook says the value of resources isn't considered.
• Very low income needs an explanation. If your household reports under $500 a month, you'll need a Monthly Household Expenses Form showing how you're getting by.

New Jersey's line is high next to the federal poverty measure. DCA's annual guidelines page lists 100% of the poverty level for a family of four at $33,000, so the 60% of state median line is almost three times that.

Who can't get heating help even under the limit. Households in public housing, or with a rent subsidy that covers all heat, aren't eligible unless they pay their own heating bill to the supplier. Residents of hospitals, nursing facilities and treatment centers are excluded, and so are households made up only of students who are someone else's tax dependents.

How Much New Jersey LIHEAP Pays: The FY2027 Benefit Grid

New Jersey's FY2027 detailed model plan lists a minimum heating benefit of $118 and a maximum of $1,278, the same range as the prior year. DCA's FY2027 benefit matrix sets the exact amount by fuel type, household size, income band and region. Warren and Sussex counties, the state's coldest corner, get a separate and higher scale than the other 19 counties.

Here's the top and bottom of each scale from DCA's FY2027 benefit matrix (opens in a new tab):

The higher number in each range goes to the lowest income bands; the lower number goes to households in the top band. Source: DCA FY2027 benefit matrix, linked from DCA's LIHEAP page (opens in a new tab).

The grid has six income bands: $0 to $1,000, $1,001 to $2,000, $2,001 to $6,439, $6,440 to $8,886, $8,887 to $9,659, and $9,660 and up. Everyone below $6,440 gets the full amount for their column. The grid doesn't print the period for those bands; New Jersey's income test is monthly, so read them against your gross monthly income and confirm with your agency.

Other LIHEAP components, from the FY2027 handbook and model plan:

Specifically, the payment method depends on your fuel. Gas and electric heating benefits go straight to the utility as a credit. Oil and propane customers usually get a two-party check made out to them and the fuel dealer. If heat is in your rent, you get a one-party check.

How to Apply Through DCAid, Step by Step

DCA's fact sheet says the 2026-27 application window runs October 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, and the FY2027 model plan adds that applications are handled first come, first served until the program runs out of money. Don't wait for spring.

1. Check your income against the table above.
2. Apply online at DCAid (opens in a new tab), DCA's portal. One DCAid application covers LIHEAP and USF, and you can upload documents and check your status there.
3. Or apply with your county agency. DCA's local application agency list (opens in a new tab) gives each county's offices, hours and phone numbers. Utilities also run payment centers that help with applications.
4. Call 1-800-510-3102 if you can't find your agency, need a status check, or are homebound and need a home visit.

DCA's FY2027 model plan says New Jersey cut its LIHEAP subgrantees from 31 to 20 after a competitive bid at the start of FY2026. If the agency that took your application in past years is gone, it may be one of them. Check the current list before you go.

Agencies DCA lists for several large counties, as of November 3, 2026:

Hours are limited at many offices. One agency in Camden posts that it closes its doors at 3:00 PM when it reaches capacity, and the Passaic County office sees people by appointment only. Applying online avoids those limits.

Documents to have ready. The FY2027 handbook lists what agencies must verify:

• Names and Social Security numbers for everyone in the household
• Your current address
• A recent bill or contract from your heating fuel supplier
• For renters, the signed first, second and last pages of your lease; a lease within six months of expiring also needs a current rent receipt or canceled check
• Gross income for four consecutive weeks within the last 60 days, plus pensions, unemployment, disability, support or other income
• A physician's certification if you're asking for the $300 cooling benefit

Note that LIHEAP requires at least one household member with a Social Security number. The BPU says USF and PAGE don't have that requirement, so mixed-status households can still apply for those.

For example, a family of three in Newark earning $2,500 a month with gas heat and a gas bill in the parent's name is well under the $6,902 monthly limit. On DCA's FY2027 grid, gas heat for a household of 1 to 4 in the 19-county scale pays $334 at that income. If the family's yearly gas bill is $1,400 and its electric bill is $1,100, USF caps each at 2% of income, which is $600 on $30,000 a year. Gas: $1,400 minus the $334 LIHEAP credit is $1,066, so USF covers $466 a year, about $38.83 a month. Electric: $1,100 minus $600 gives about $41.67 a month. That's roughly $1,300 in help against a $2,500 energy bill, before PAGE or Lifeline. The USF math follows the worked example in DCA's USF FAQ; your agency runs the real numbers.

USF, Fresh Start, PAGE and Lifeline: What Stacks With LIHEAP

USF is the program most New Jersey households underestimate, because it pays all year rather than once. According to DCA's USF FAQ (opens in a new tab), benefits run from $20 to $200 a month for gas and electric combined, and they're set so you pay no more than about 2% of income for gas and 2% for non-heating electric, or 4% if you heat with electricity. If your bills are below those shares, you still get the $20 minimum.

USF Fresh Start. If you owe $60 or more when you enroll in USF, the BPU says your utility will put you in Fresh Start automatically. Pay each new monthly bill in full and on time, and 1/12 of the old balance is forgiven each month; after 12 months it's gone. You can't be shut off for the set-aside Fresh Start balance, but any unforgiven part comes back at the end. Since October 1, 2024, Fresh Start is available once every five years.

PAGE. The BPU's program page (opens in a new tab) describes PAGE as relief on gas and electric bills for low- to moderate-income households, funded by the state Treasury and run by SHARES Nation. DCA's income guidelines page lists these PAGE limits:

SHARES Nation's program list, checked November 3, 2026, shows PAGE paying up to $700 per utility for gas or electric service. Apply at sharesnation.org or 1-866-657-4273, and expect the money to depend on available funds.

Lifeline Utility Assistance. The Division of Aging Services says Lifeline pays $225 a year to people who meet PAAD rules: New Jersey residents age 65 or older, or 18 to 64 and receiving Social Security Disability, with 2026 income under $54,943 single or $62,390 married. Homeowners get a bill credit; tenants with utilities in the rent get a check. SSI recipients shouldn't apply because the benefit is already in the SSI check. Apply with NJSave or call 1-800-792-9745. Our help for seniors guide lists other programs for older adults.

Weatherization. DCA's FY2027 model plan says any household found eligible for LIHEAP is categorically eligible for weatherization if the building passes an energy audit and hasn't been weatherized in the past 15 years. The plan caps LIHEAP-funded weatherization at $13,487 per household. BPU's Comfort Partners program, at 866-378-4345, also does free efficiency work for households under its limits. For roofs and bigger repairs, see our home repair grants guide.

Shutoff Notices and New Jersey's Winter Termination Rules

New Jersey's Winter Termination Program runs November 15 to March 15 and covers gas, electric, water and wastewater service. According to the BPU (opens in a new tab), it protects:

1. Lifeline recipients
2. LIHEAP (HEAP) recipients
3. TANF recipients
4. SSI recipients
5. PAAD recipients
6. General Assistance recipients
7. USF recipients
8. Applicants to a water assistance program
9. Anyone who can't pay because of circumstances beyond their control, such as job loss, illness, medical bills or a death in the family

The ninth group can self-certify. The protection isn't automatic. You have to call your utility and ask for Winter Termination Program protection. If the utility won't answer your questions, call the BPU at 1-800-624-0241. DCA runs a parallel Winter Termination Program (opens in a new tab) for municipal utilities, local authorities and rural electric co-ops, with a self-certification form.

The LIHEAP Clearinghouse, an ACF-funded resource, adds in its disconnection policy table (opens in a new tab) that New Jersey also limits shutoffs when it's 32 degrees or colder, and when it's 90 degrees or hotter. It says a doctor's certification that a shutoff would harm someone's health can delay disconnection up to three months, if you sign a payment plan. Winter program customers go on a budget plan, can't be cut off while they make good faith payments, and can't be asked for a security deposit during the heating season.

If you're already shut off. The BPU's reconnection rule lets gas, electric, water and wastewater customers request reconnection once a year per utility with proof that they applied to USF, LIHEAP, PAGE or a similar program, after a down payment of up to 25% of the balance.

LIHEAP emergency timing. Per the FY2027 handbook, emergency help for oil and other delivered fuels runs December through June 30. Gas and electric emergencies open after the moratorium ends on March 15 and run first come, first served until June 30 or until money runs out. If you got LIHEAP and your utility sends a shutoff notice in spring, DCA's FAQ says you can apply for a LIHEAP emergency grant between March 16 and June 30. The agency must act within 48 hours of an eligible request, or 18 hours in a life-threatening situation.

New Jersey's LIHEAP Money: $120 Million So Far for 2026-27

ACF released $120,051,927 of FY2027 LIHEAP block grant money to New Jersey on October 9, 2026, according to ACF's first FY2027 state allocation table (opens in a new tab). That release is 90% of the funding available under the continuing resolution, Pub. L. 119-103, signed September 2, 2026, per the LIHEAP Clearinghouse funding page (opens in a new tab). As of November 3, 2026, ACF's funding releases page (opens in a new tab) lists no second FY2027 release.

Sources: ACF FY2027 first release table and FY2026 final release table (opens in a new tab); Census Bureau Vintage 2025 state estimates (New Jersey: 9,548,215).

Grantsights analysis of ACF's FY2026 allocation tables and Census July 1, 2025 population estimates found New Jersey received $14.10 per resident, against $11.90 for the 50 states and D.C., ranking 24th. The first FY2027 release equals $12.57 per resident so far, and it's 2.3% above New Jersey's first FY2026 continuing resolution award of $117,400,027. In plain terms, the federal money for this winter has started flowing on a normal schedule, but the last 10% of this year's federal LIHEAP funding hasn't been released. DCA's handbook notes that payments depend on available federal money.

USF is different. The BPU says it's funded by a surcharge on every gas and electric bill in the state, so it doesn't depend on federal appropriations.

What DCA's Energy Assistance Pages Don't Tell You

DCA's pages are accurate, but these 6 points are easy to miss and change what you should do.

1. SNAP households may already be paid. The FY2027 handbook says certain SNAP households get an automatic LIHEAP payment from their SNAP file, and a duplicate application from a household that got one is denied. Check your utility bill or call 1-800-510-3102 before you file.
2. Gas and electric emergency help waits until March 16. Because the winter moratorium protects many customers until March 15, the handbook opens gas and electric emergencies after that date. If you heat with oil or propane, emergency fuel help starts in December.
3. Warren and Sussex pay more. The FY2027 grid gives those two counties a higher scale. A family of four with delivered fuel in the lowest income band gets $961 there and $641 elsewhere.
4. Your old agency may be gone. The state dropped from 31 to 20 subgrantees for FY2026. Use DCA's current agency list, not a flyer from two years ago.
5. Incomplete files expire. The handbook says after three contact attempts over 70 days, an incomplete application is deactivated and you'll have to reapply. Upload everything at once.
6. Furnace work needs approval first. Emergency furnace repairs up to $2,000 require DCA's written pre-approval before work starts. Don't let a contractor begin and expect LIHEAP to pay afterward.

Common Mistakes and Red Flags

The most common mistake is waiting for a shutoff notice. LIHEAP in New Jersey is first come, first served, and the plan says applications stop when money runs out, even before June 30. A close second is skipping the Winter Termination Program call: being on LIHEAP or USF makes you eligible, but the utility needs to hear from you.

Other errors that slow applications down:

• Applying for PAGE before USF. The BPU tells income-eligible households to apply for USF and LIHEAP first.
• Leaving out a household member's income or sending pay stubs older than 60 days.
• Putting the application in the wrong name. USF goes only to the person or spouse named on the utility account, and that person must live at the service address, per DCA's FAQ.
• Assuming renters can't apply. If heat is in your rent and you don't get a full subsidy, you can still get the "heat included in rent" benefit.

Scam red flags. DCA posts a LIHEAP fraud, waste and abuse flyer, and ACF's LIHEAP page (opens in a new tab) says LIHEAP doesn't give direct grants to individuals or charge application fees. The FTC's page on utility impostor scams (opens in a new tab) says real utilities don't demand gift cards, wire transfers, crypto or payment apps. Watch for:

• A caller threatening a same-day PSE&G, JCP&L or gas shutoff unless you pay by app or gift card
• Anyone charging a fee to "submit" your DCAid application
• A text or social post promising a "New Jersey energy grant" deposited to your bank
• A website asking for your Social Security number that isn't dcaid.dca.nj.gov or a county agency on DCA's list

If something seems off, hang up and call the number on your bill or 1-800-510-3102. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab) and LIHEAP impersonation to the HHS fraud hotline at 1-800-447-8477.

What to Do If You're Denied or Funds Run Out

New Jersey's FY2027 handbook gives you 4 grounds for an administrative review and fair hearing: your application was denied; nobody decided within 60 days (30 days if you're elderly or disabled); the benefit is less than you think it should be; or it'll be paid in a lower amount than you were told. The model plan reports 10 fair hearings in the prior federal fiscal year. Ask for the review in writing and keep a copy of your denial notice.

If LIHEAP money is gone or you're over the limit:

• Apply for USF anyway. It's state funded and the BPU says you can apply for USF alone online during the summer.
• Apply for PAGE through SHARES Nation if your income is over 60% of state median.
• Call 211. NJ 211's utility assistance hotline at (866) 240-1347 can point you to local help.
• Ask your utility for a deferred payment agreement and for its own hardship fund. PSE&G's payment assistance intake line on DCA's agency list is 908-709-6868.
• Look at the rest of the budget. Our guides to food stamps in New Jersey, emergency cash assistance and rental assistance programs cover help that frees up money for the energy bill. For phone or internet bills, see our Lifeline phone guide.

Moving or helping family in a neighboring state? Our guides cover LIHEAP in Pennsylvania and HEAP in New York, and our national LIHEAP guide explains how the federal program works.

If you're not sure which New Jersey programs fit your household, the Grantsights free eligibility checker sorts the public routes in a couple of minutes. Pick "Individual" and then "Personal financial help." It won't show grants for personal bills, because there aren't any; it points you to official options such as the USA.gov benefit finder, bill help and 211. For a New Jersey energy bill, that bill help route leads to DCAid.

FAQ: New Jersey Energy Assistance

What is the income limit for LIHEAP in New Jersey for 2026-27?

60% of state median income: $4,273 a month for one person, $8,217 for four and $11,339 for eight, per DCA's FFY 2027 fact sheet. USF uses the same line.

How much does New Jersey LIHEAP pay?

$118 to $1,278 for heating under the FY2027 plan, depending on fuel, income, household size and region. Cooling is $300, emergency help up to $800 plus $100 for reconnection, and furnace work up to $2,000.

How do I apply for energy assistance in New Jersey?

Apply on DCAid or with your county's agency on DCA's list. The hotline is 1-800-510-3102. Applications run October 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 while funds last.

Can my gas or electric be shut off in New Jersey in winter?

Not if you're in a protected group and ask your utility for Winter Termination Program protection, which runs November 15 to March 15.

What is the difference between LIHEAP, USF and PAGE in New Jersey?

LIHEAP is a once-a-season federal heating benefit. USF is a monthly state credit of $20 to $200. PAGE helps households over the LIHEAP line, up to $164,337 for four.

Do SNAP households in New Jersey need to apply for LIHEAP?

Some get an automatic payment from their SNAP file. Call 1-800-510-3102 before filing a second application.

What can I do if New Jersey LIHEAP denies my application?

Request an administrative review and then a fair hearing. You have that right for a denial, a delay over 60 days (30 for elderly or disabled applicants), or a lower benefit than expected.

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Sources

1. DCA: LIHEAP/USF FFY 2027 Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab) - income limits, application period, cooling benefit, USF cap
2. DCA: FFY 2026 Fact Sheet (PDF) (opens in a new tab) - prior-year income limits
3. DCA: Annual Income Guidelines (opens in a new tab) - LIHEAP/USF, PAGE, Lifeline and poverty figures
4. DCA: Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) (opens in a new tab) - how to apply, handbook, model plan, benefit matrix
5. DCA: FY2027 Benefit Matrix (opens in a new tab) - heating benefits by fuel, income, size and region
6. DCA: LIHEAP FY2027 Handbook (PDF) (opens in a new tab) - income counting, emergency rules, fair hearings, verification
7. DCA: LIHEAP FY2027 Detailed Model Plan (PDF) (opens in a new tab) - benefit range, crisis caps, subgrantees, weatherization cap
8. DCA: Local Application Agency List (opens in a new tab) - county agencies and utility contacts
9. DCA: USF FAQ (opens in a new tab) - USF calculation, Fresh Start, spring emergency grants
10. DCA: Winter Termination Program (opens in a new tab) - municipal utilities and co-ops
11. NJ BPU: Utility Assistance Programs (opens in a new tab) - USF, PAGE, Winter Termination Program, reconnection, Lifeline, Comfort Partners
12. NJ Division of Aging Services: Lifeline Utility Assistance (opens in a new tab) - $225 benefit and 2026 PAAD income limits
13. LIHEAP Clearinghouse: Disconnect Policies (opens in a new tab) - temperature rules and medical delay (ACF-funded resource)
14. LIHEAP Clearinghouse: Funding for States (opens in a new tab) - FY2027 and FY2026 funding releases
15. ACF: FY2027 First Release Table (PDF) (opens in a new tab) and FY2026 Final Release Table (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
16. ACF: LIHEAP Funding Releases (opens in a new tab) and ACF: LIHEAP program page (opens in a new tab)
17. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 State Population Estimates (CSV) (opens in a new tab)
18. FTC: Scammers Pretend To Be Your Utility Company (opens in a new tab)
19. SHARES Nation program list (sharesnation.org/programs) - PAGE benefit amount