Virginia Energy Assistance Program 2026: Limits, Dates

How does Virginia's cutoff compare? Our LIHEAP income limits guide covers every state; from here on it's Virginia only.

Fuel Assistance pays your fuel dealer or utility directly, and benefits aren't calculated until December. If you heat with oil or propane and your tank is low now, read the crisis section below.

Virginia EAP 2026-27 at a Glance: 4 Components, 3 Calendars

Virginia splits energy help into 4 components on 3 different calendars, which is why so many households miss the one they need. The FY2026 plan put 35% of LIHEAP money into heating, 23% into cooling, 8% into winter crisis, 15% into weatherization, 10% into administration and 9% into carryover.

Sources: VDSS Energy Assistance Program page and EAP information sheet; Virginia FY2026 LIHEAP plan, sections 1.1, 1.2, 2.6, 3.6 and 4.12. January 4, 2027 applies VDSS's "first workday in January" rule, since January 1 is a state holiday.

According to the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, an ACF-funded resource, vendors in the Fuel and Crisis programs agree to waive Virginia sales tax on fuel deliveries, and the household gets the value of that tax as extra fuel.

Virginia Energy Assistance Income Limits for 2026-27 (150% of Poverty)

Virginia's limit is $4,125 a month for a family of four, or 150% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline. VDSS says households must have gross monthly income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level for Fuel, Crisis or Cooling Assistance, and VDSS already publishes the 2026 figures on its PIPP page, in effect June 1 to December 31, 2026.

Sources: monthly figures from VDSS's PIPP income eligibility standards (opens in a new tab), which use the same 150% of poverty measure; yearly figures from ACF's FY2027 LIHEAP poverty guideline table (150% of the guidelines HHS published January 15, 2026, mandatory for FY2027 LIHEAP). VDSS's chart continues to 20 people ($15,485).

A note on the older chart. VDSS's printed EAP information sheet, dated May 2025, still lists $4,018 a month for a family of four, which is 150% of the 2025 guidelines. If your income falls between $4,018 and $4,125 for four people, apply anyway; ACF requires FY2027 LIHEAP programs that use poverty guidelines to use the 2026 version.

When the figures change next. HHS publishes new poverty guidelines each January. VDSS's PIPP chart runs through December 31, 2026, and ACF's FY2028 table will apply from October 1, 2027.

Other eligibility rules. You must live in the city or county where you apply and be responsible for a heating or cooling expense. The VDSS manual deducts a medical expense allowance for elderly and disabled members when screening crisis applications. If you live in public housing where the housing authority pays all heating costs, the FY2026 plan says you can't get Crisis Assistance. For food help with the same CommonHelp account, see our Virginia SNAP guide, and for health coverage, our Virginia Medicaid income limits guide.

How Much Virginia Fuel Assistance Pays: The Points System

Virginia's Fuel Assistance benefit is built from points, and the FY2026 plan reports that the FFY2025 range ran from $181.26 to $634.43 at $4.531665 per point. That works out to roughly 40 to 140 points.

Per the FY2026 plan, Virginia's case system awards points for:

• Energy burden. Households spending the largest share of income on home energy get the most points.
• Vulnerability. A household with someone 60 or older, someone with a disability, or a child under 6 gets extra points, at the highest value for whichever condition applies.
• Income, household size and fuel type, as listed in the plan's benefit variables.

The dollar value of a point isn't fixed. In December, VDSS divides the heating allocation by the number of points awarded statewide, which sets that year's minimum, maximum and per-point value. That's why no one, including your local worker, can quote your exact Fuel Assistance amount in November.

Worked example. For example, a family of three in Richmond earning $3,000 a month and heating with natural gas is about $415 under the $3,415 limit, so they qualify. A parent in the home with a 4-year-old adds vulnerability points. At the FFY2025 rate, every 10 extra points was worth about $45, and the whole award would land between $181 and $634, paid to the gas company in December. A widow, 72, in Wise County living on $1,700 a month and heating with kerosene would also qualify; her higher energy burden and age points push her toward the top of the range, and her dealer delivers against the authorization.

What Fuel Assistance can pay for. Besides fuel or a heat bill, VDSS's information sheet says it can cover furnace restarts, late charges, delivery charges, installation charges and connection or reconnection fees.

Season Dates and Deadlines for 2026-27

Virginia's Fuel Assistance window is just 32 days long, the shortest of any component. Here's the full 2026-27 calendar from VDSS's rules:

Federal funding status. Virginia's first FY2027 LIHEAP payment is $92,181,317, according to ACF's state allotment table (opens in a new tab). ACF released it October 9, 2026 under the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (Public Law 119-103, signed September 2, 2026), and says the $3,631,860,000 national total is 90% of the money that stopgap provides. ACF restricts funds for any state without an approved FY2027 plan; Virginia's FY2027 plan wasn't on the LIHEAP Clearinghouse's plan list on November 3, 2026. How much more reaches Richmond this year depends on Congress. According to the LIHEAP Clearinghouse profile, Virginia's full FY2026 funding was $103,925,790.

How to Apply for Virginia Energy Assistance: 3 Ways

VDSS takes applications 3 ways for every component, and all three feed the same case system.

1. Online through CommonHelp (opens in a new tab). The same account handles SNAP, Medicaid, TANF and PIPP.
2. By phone through the Enterprise Customer Service Center at 855-635-4370, Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 6 PM.
3. On paper at your local department of social services (opens in a new tab), using the Fuel, Crisis or Cooling application posted on VDSS's EAP page (English and Spanish).

Per the FY2026 plan, crisis applications are accepted in person at local departments in 120 cities and counties, and by mail, fax, CommonHelp or phone, so homebound applicants don't have to travel.

What the Fuel Assistance application asks for:

• Every household member's name, Social Security number, date of birth and gross monthly income, with how often it's paid
• Your living situation (owner, renter paying heat, heat in rent, subsidized housing) and rent amount
• Your main heating equipment and fuel, and whether fuel is delivered
• Whether anyone gets SNAP or Medicaid, or pays Medicare Part B or D premiums
• Whether anyone in the home has a disability

Have pay stubs, benefit letters and a current heating bill ready; your local department will ask for proof.

Crisis Help and Shutoff Protection: Virginia's 32-Degree Rule

Virginia's FY2026 plan commits to resolving a heating crisis within 48 hours, and within 18 hours when it's life-threatening. Virginia defines life-threatening as a forecast of 32 degrees or less for the current or next day and a household member who's under 6, 60 or older, or disabled.

What Crisis Assistance covers, per the VDSS manual and FY2026 plan:

The FY2026 plan sets the overall winter crisis maximum at $4,200. Fuel and bill help is for households that didn't get Fuel Assistance or have used it up.

The manual says VDSS won't buy heating equipment for renters, and repairs you arrange yourself generally aren't reimbursed unless the emergency happened after hours and you apply the next working day.

Virginia's shutoff law. Va. Code § 56-245.1:3 (opens in a new tab), passed in 2024, covers electric, gas, water and wastewater utilities regulated by the State Corporation Commission:

The statute doesn't stop prepaid service from running out, and it doesn't cover propane or oil dealers. If you think a regulated utility broke these rules, file with the State Corporation Commission (opens in a new tab) at 800-552-7945.

Programs That Stack With EAP: PIPP, Weatherization and Utility Funds

Virginia has at least 4 programs that stack with Fuel Assistance, and the biggest one most households miss is PIPP.

Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP). For Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power customers at or below 150% of poverty, VDSS's PIPP page (opens in a new tab) says the program:

For example, a family of four in Norfolk with $3,000 a month in income and gas heat would pay 6% of income, or $180 a month, toward their Dominion electric bill. Missing or partial payments can get you removed.

Weatherization. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development runs the Weatherization Assistance Program (opens in a new tab) through local nonprofits: air sealing, insulation, and heating and cooling repairs. Virginia homeowners whose roof or wiring also needs work can check our home repair grants guide.

Utility and charity funds, as listed by the LIHEAP Clearinghouse:

• Dominion Energy EnergyShare, for heating and cooling bills (call 2-1-1 for your local agency)
• Appalachian Power Neighbor to Neighbor, run by Dollar Energy Fund
• Columbia Gas of Virginia HeatShare, through the Salvation Army (1-800-543-8911)
• Virginia Natural Gas EnergyShare and Atmos Energy Sharing the Warmth
• Security deposit waivers for LIHEAP-eligible customers at Appalachian Power, Dominion, Virginia Natural Gas and Washington Gas
• Fan Care, which gives free fans to eligible Virginians 60 and older in Dominion's area through local Area Agencies on Aging

Virginia's FY2027 LIHEAP Money Per Resident

Virginia's first FY2027 LIHEAP release is $92,181,317. Grantsights analysis of ACF's October 9, 2026 allotment table and Census Bureau July 1, 2025 population estimates found Virginia received $10.38 per resident, just under the $10.44 figure for the 50 states and D.C., and 32nd of 51.

Virginia comparison built from ACF's FY2027 first-release table and the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 state file (opens in a new tab). Rank excludes territories.

Specifically, Virginia's $92,181,317 equals about $905 for each of the 101,881 households that got heating help in FY2024, according to the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, which also counts 82,983 cooling households and 14,829 crisis households that year. If VDSS keeps the FY2026 split, about $32.3 million of this release goes to Fuel Assistance and about $7.4 million to winter crisis. Neighbors can compare with our West Virginia LIEAP guide, DC LIHEAP guide, Maryland guide and North Carolina guide.

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

VDSS's page lists the windows, but 6 things it doesn't spell out cost Virginians money every year.

1. November 13 is a hard stop for Fuel Assistance. Miss it and your only winter fuel help is Crisis Assistance, which for fuel and bills doesn't open until January 4, 2027.
2. The printed income chart is a year old. The May 2025 information sheet shows $4,018 for four; the 2026 figure VDSS uses for PIPP is $4,125.
3. Your benefit isn't known until December. The per-point value depends on how many points are awarded statewide, so a big application year means smaller checks.
4. Renters can't get a new furnace. Equipment replacement is for owners only; renters can still get repairs if their lease makes them responsible, plus fuel, deposits or a space heater.
5. PIPP can be better than Fuel Assistance. A $634 one-time benefit is the top of the Fuel Assistance range; a PIPP cap plus 12 months of arrears forgiveness can be worth far more to a Dominion or Appalachian Power household with a big balance. Apply for both.
6. Friday is protected. Under § 56-245.1:3, regulated utilities can't disconnect for nonpayment on Fridays, weekends or holidays, so a "we're cutting you off Saturday" call is a red flag.

Common Mistakes and Scam Red Flags

These 5 mistakes cost Virginia households the most, based on VDSS's rules and state law:

• Waiting for cold weather to apply. A common mistake is assuming Fuel Assistance opens when the heat comes on. It closes in mid-November.
• Calling a contractor first. Crisis repairs you authorize yourself usually aren't reimbursed. Call your local department, then the vendor.
• Applying in the wrong locality. You must apply where you live.
• Underestimating crisis limits. Repairs are capped at $500 a year and replacements at $1,700 in the manual, so get the vendor's estimate to your worker fast.
• Breaking a PIPP plan. Partial payments can remove you from PIPP and end the arrears forgiveness.

Scam warning signs. The FTC's utility impostor guidance (opens in a new tab) says real utilities won't demand payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or payment app. Watch for:

• A caller threatening a Dominion shutoff on a Friday, weekend or holiday, when state law bars nonpayment disconnections
• A fee to "file" your Fuel Assistance or PIPP application; CommonHelp and local departments are free
• Texts or social posts promising "Virginia energy grants" paid to you; EAP pays vendors
• Anyone asking for your CommonHelp password

Hang up and call the number printed on your Dominion, Appalachian Power or gas bill. VDSS takes fraud reports at 1-800-552-3431, and you can also report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab).

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

VDSS gives you 30 days from the notice to ask for a hearing, according to the notice language in its Energy Assistance Manual.

1. Appeal in writing within 30 days. Use the Appeal to the State Department of Social Services form linked on VDSS's EAP page, and send it to the address on your notice. Your local department can help.
2. Switch components. Denied or late for Fuel Assistance? Crisis Assistance takes fuel and bill applications from January 4 to March 15, 2027.
3. Apply for PIPP if you're a Dominion or Appalachian Power customer, and ask your utility about a payment plan and deposit waiver.
4. Look past EAP. Dial 2-1-1 Virginia for local help. Our rental assistance guide covers rent, our emergency cash assistance guide covers one-time help, our help for seniors guide covers older Virginians, and our Lifeline guide covers phone bills.

Need the federal side? Our national LIHEAP guide walks through how the block grant reaches Richmond and why Virginia's money arrives in stages.

Not sure which programs a Virginia household qualifies for? The Grantsights free eligibility checker takes a couple of minutes: choose "Individual," then "Personal financial help," and it returns official routes for bills, rent, food and benefits screening, not grants. For a heating or cooling bill, it points to VDSS and CommonHelp.

Sources

1. VDSS: Energy Assistance Program (EAP) (opens in a new tab) - Virginia components, application windows, income basis, applications, appeals form
2. VDSS: Energy Assistance Manual (opens in a new tab) - crisis types and limits, appeal notice language
3. VDSS: EAP Information Sheet (05/25) (opens in a new tab) - Virginia program dates, uses of Fuel Assistance, prior income chart
4. VDSS: Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP) (opens in a new tab) - 2026 150% of poverty chart, bill caps, arrears forgiveness
5. Virginia FY2026 LIHEAP Detailed Model Plan (via LIHEAP Clearinghouse) (opens in a new tab) - fund split, points system, benefit ranges, crisis definitions
6. LIHEAP Clearinghouse: Virginia profile (opens in a new tab) - FY2026 funding, households served, utility programs, sales tax waiver
7. LIHEAP Clearinghouse: disconnect policies, including Virginia's medical delay (opens in a new tab)
8. Code of Virginia § 56-245.1:3, disconnection suspension for Virginia utilities (opens in a new tab)
9. Virginia State Corporation Commission (opens in a new tab)
10. Virginia DHCD: Weatherization Assistance Program (opens in a new tab)
11. CommonHelp (Virginia benefits portal) (opens in a new tab)
12. ACF: FY2027 LIHEAP poverty guideline table (Attachment 2), used for Virginia's 150% line (opens in a new tab)
13. ACF: FY2027 first LIHEAP release notice behind Virginia's payment (opens in a new tab)
14. ACF: FY2027 first release by state, including Virginia's $92,181,317 (opens in a new tab)
15. Census Bureau population file used for Virginia's per-resident figure (opens in a new tab)
16. FTC guidance on utility impostors, applied to Virginia utility customers (opens in a new tab)