Wisconsin WHEAP 2026-27: Income Limits and How to Apply

National limits for every state are in our LIHEAP income limits guide. The rest of this guide covers Wisconsin only.

WHEAP sends money to your utility or fuel dealer. It doesn't mail checks to households in most cases, so a text promising a "WHEAP deposit" is a scam.

WHEAP 2026-27 at a Glance: 2 Funding Streams, 4 Kinds of Help

WHEAP blends 2 money sources, and that's why Wisconsin households usually get two separate payments. Federal LIHEAP dollars pay the heating benefit. The state's Public Benefits fund, built from a fee on electric bills, pays the non-heating electric benefit and some crisis help.

Sources: Wisconsin FFY2027 LIHEAP plan, sections 1.1, 2.6 and 4.12; PY2027 WHEAP Manual, chapters 2 and 5; DOA SFY2025 annual report.

The FY2027 plan budgets 61% of Wisconsin's LIHEAP money for heating help, 15% for weatherization, 9% for year-round crisis help, 10% for administration and 5% for carryover. There's no separate cooling program. DOA says crisis cooling help requires a heat emergency declared by a public health agency first.

One catch the manual is blunt about: WHEAP benefits aren't guaranteed. When the year's money is gone, nobody else gets paid, even households that qualify.

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

Wisconsin's cutoff is 60% of state median income, and ACF's FY2027 table puts Wisconsin's median for a family of four at $127,769. DOA's WHEAP page lists these limits for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027:

Source: DOA WHEAP program page (opens in a new tab), checked November 3, 2026. ACF's table lists $39,863 for one person and $101,192 for six; DOA's figures run $1 higher on those two lines. For households above eight, ask your local agency for the exact figure.

When the limits change next. Wisconsin's program year starts every October 1. Expect PY2028 limits on October 1, 2027, based on ACF's FY2028 median income figures.

How Wisconsin counts income. WHEAP uses a one-month test, then annualizes it. The test month is usually the month before you apply. If your income just dropped, for example after a layoff, the manual lets the agency use the current month instead. Self-employment and seasonal income use the last 12 months or the prior tax year.

Automatic eligibility. If every person in the home got W-2 cash, FoodShare or SSI in the month before you apply, the FY2027 plan treats the household as income-eligible even above 60% of median. The benefit is then figured as if income sat right at the limit. For food help on the same paperwork, see our Wisconsin FoodShare guide, and for health coverage, our Wisconsin Medicaid income limits guide.

How Much WHEAP Pays: $30 to $2,784 for Heat

WHEAP's heating benefit has a $30 floor and a $2,784 ceiling in the FY2027 plan, and DOA's annual report says heating help covered about 25% of a typical recipient's yearly heating bill in FFY25. The benefit is calculated by DOA's HE+ System from 5 main factors:

• Household income compared with state median income
• Number of people in the home
• Fuel type and actual fuel costs for the last 12 months
• Number of rooms (capped at 9)
• Dwelling type

The plan says the formula gives a 4:1 ratio for high energy burden, so the lowest-income homes with the highest bills get the most. If you don't report actual fuel costs, the system uses a proxy table set at 75% of the average cost for your home type. That's an intentional penalty, so bring your bills. If your costs run more than double the proxy, the benefit is based on twice the proxy.

What households actually got. According to DOA's SFY2025 annual report, in federal fiscal year 2025 (October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025):

DOA's report also says 228,401 households applied that year. Natural gas heated 74% of assisted homes, electric 13%, propane 10% and fuel oil 2%.

Worked example. For example, a family of three in Milwaukee earning $4,800 a month, with gas heat from We Energies: $4,800 is under the $5,366.25 one-month limit for three, so they qualify. If their awards landed near the FFY25 averages, they'd see about $469 credited to the gas account and $229 to electric, close to $700 total. If We Energies later sent a disconnection notice in late April for $500, the agency could cover it from crisis funds, since that's below the $1,600 yearly cap, provided the family had paid at least $25 on the account in the past 90 days.

Season Dates and Deadlines for 2026-27

Wisconsin's heating season runs 227 days, from October 1, 2026 to May 15, 2027, under state statute 16.27(4)(a).

Automated renewals. Some households don't need to reapply. The FY2027 plan says homes whose income is only Social Security and/or veterans benefits, with gas or electric from an investor-owned utility or a participating WPPI Energy utility, and the same housing as last year, can get an automated benefit for up to 2 years in a row. DOA mails a letter. Read it, because if anything on it is wrong, you must tell the agency.

Where Wisconsin's federal money stands. Wisconsin's first FY2027 LIHEAP payment from Washington is $100,155,878, according to ACF's state allotment table (opens in a new tab) dated October 9, 2026. That payment came from a stopgap spending law, Public Law 119-103, and ACF says it released only 90% of what that law makes available. Wisconsin's FY2027 plan shows as accepted, so its money isn't restricted. Congress hasn't set full-year LIHEAP funding, which is one honest reason to apply early rather than in May.

How to Apply for WHEAP in 3 Ways

WHEAP has 3 front doors, and the same Home Energy Plus application also screens you for weatherization.

1. Online. Apply at energybenefit.wi.gov (opens in a new tab). The online form shows you the certification language before you submit, so there's no separate signature page.
2. By phone or mail. Call 1-866-HEATWIS (432-8947) to reach your county's agency. Agencies can record a telephonic signature, or take the signed certification page by email, text or mail.
3. In person. DOA's assistance page (opens in a new tab) has a county and tribe map with each agency's contact details. There's an approved agency for every county and for six tribes.

Documents to have ready, from DOA's applicant checklist (revised June 2026):

• Social Security number and date of birth for everyone in the home
• Proof of lawful immigration status for any household member who isn't a U.S. citizen
• Your account numbers and 12 months of primary heating costs, plus copies of your electric bills
• Your landlord's name, address and phone, or your lease, if you rent
• Gross income for everyone in the home for the one month before you apply: pay stubs, Social Security or SSI award letters, pension statements, child support, unemployment, W-2 payments, and any loans or gifts of money

If someone in the home has no income, the agency will ask for a Zero Income Form. Self-employed applicants use the 12-month Self-generated Income Report Form. Both are on DOA's WHEAP page.

Timeline. You have 30 days from your application date to turn in anything missing. After that, the manual gives you the right to a payment or a written explanation within 45 days. Payments under $30 aren't issued.

Crisis Help and Wisconsin's Winter Moratorium

Wisconsin agencies must respond to a crisis request within 48 hours, and within 18 hours if there's a potential urgent safety concern, according to the PY2027 WHEAP Manual. Every agency also runs a 24-hour crisis phone line for nights and weekends.

To get crisis money, the manual sets 4 tests:

1. You're WHEAP-eligible this program year (one approved application covers the whole year).
2. You pay the vendor directly. Heat-included renters don't qualify for crisis payments.
3. You have no heat, face losing essential energy, or have costs you can't cover after the regular benefit.
4. You've paid at least $25 on that account in the last 90 days. Another charity can make that payment for you.

The minimum crisis payment is $100, the yearly cap is $1,600, and you can get 2 crisis payments a year. Agencies can ask DOA's Help Desk for a waiver of any of those limits. For propane and fuel oil, the plan tells agencies to buy fuel before the tank drops below 20% when that cuts delivery charges.

The moratorium. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin's March 25, 2026 release (opens in a new tab) says the annual moratorium from November 1 to April 15 prohibits utilities from disconnecting residential heating service for nonpayment. A few points that matter:

• It covers regulated gas and electric utilities. Propane and fuel oil dealers aren't utilities, so they can refuse a delivery any time.
• It doesn't erase the debt. Customers without a payment arrangement by April 15 can be disconnected after it ends, the PSC says.
• Utilities must offer a deferred payment agreement to residential customers who can't pay in full. Municipal utilities don't have to offer one to tenants, though many do.
• If you can't reach an agreement, call the PSC at 1-800-225-7729 or file a complaint on its website.

The PSC lists these numbers for the largest utilities: Alliant Energy 1-800-255-4268, Madison Gas and Electric 1-800-245-1125, Superior Water, Light and Power 1-800-227-7957, We Energies 1-800-842-4565, Wisconsin Public Service 1-800-450-7260, and Xcel Energy 1-800-895-4999.

Furnace Repair, Water Heaters and Weatherization: 3 Programs Behind WHEAP

WHEAP eligibility opens 3 more doors, and DOA's FY2027 plan sends 15% of LIHEAP money to weatherization alone.

• HE+ HVAC Program Services. Year-round repair or replacement of a primary heating system or air source heat pump that has stopped working or is unsafe. Central air can be included if it affects the furnace. DOA says the work never results in a lien or charge to an eligible household.
• HE+ Water Conservation Program Services. Year-round repair or replacement of a leaking or broken water heater. It's paid by Public Benefits, so you must live in a participating utility's territory.
• Weatherization Assistance Program. Your WHEAP application doubles as the weatherization application. If you're eligible, your information goes to the local weatherization agency, which sends an energy auditor.

Call your WHEAP agency the day the furnace quits. Paying a contractor first is a common mistake, because crisis and HVAC funds pay providers directly and don't reimburse work that's already done. For roof and structural problems, see our home repair grants guide.

Wisconsin's FY2027 LIHEAP Money Per Resident

Wisconsin's first FY2027 release is $100,155,878, according to ACF's October 9, 2026 table. Grantsights analysis of that ACF table and Census Bureau July 1, 2025 population estimates found Wisconsin received $16.77 per resident, 13th of the 50 states and D.C., and about 61% above the $10.44 national average.

Sources: ACF Wisconsin and neighbor allotments, FY2027 first release (opens in a new tab); Census Bureau Vintage 2025 state population estimates (opens in a new tab). Rank excludes territories.

Specifically, Wisconsin's $16.77 per resident is $2.31 below Minnesota's $19.08 but $3.04 above Illinois's $13.73. Applying the plan's split to this first release, roughly $61.1 million (61%) is for heating help and about $9.0 million (9%) for crisis. Federal LIHEAP isn't the only pot, though: DOA's report shows the state Public Benefits fund took in $122.3 million in state fiscal year 2025. Neighbors can compare with our Minnesota EAP guide, our Michigan energy assistance guide and our Illinois LIHEAP guide.

What DOA's WHEAP Page Doesn't Tell You

DOA's WHEAP page is written mostly for agencies, and 6 practical points sit deeper in the manual and plan.

1. Your cooperative or city utility may not be in Public Benefits. Co-ops and municipal utilities can run their own Commitment to Community Program instead. If yours does, you won't get the state electric benefit or Public Benefits crisis money through WHEAP. Call your utility and ask about its own program.
2. Missing fuel costs shrink your award. The proxy table is set at 75% of average costs on purpose. Bring 12 months of bills, or ask your vendor for a usage history.
3. The $25 payment rule trips people up. No payment in 90 days means no crisis help, unless the agency gets a waiver. A church or Salvation Army payment counts.
4. Late applicants aren't shut out. An application dated after May 15 can't get the regular benefit, but it can still qualify you for crisis prevention, furnace work and weatherization through September 30.
5. The moratorium is about heat. It protects residential heating service at regulated utilities. A propane tank running dry isn't covered, so ask for crisis help when the tank is low, not empty.
6. Fuel funds can stretch further. The FY2027 plan says DOA has contracted with the Keep Wisconsin Warm Fuel Fund and/or Heat for Heroes, and once those funds raise money, LIHEAP matches it. Ask your agency whether matched fuel-fund dollars are available in your county.

Common Mistakes and Utility Scam Red Flags

These 5 errors cause the most denied or delayed WHEAP cases, based on the WHEAP manual's rules:

• Leaving off a household member's income. Everyone's gross income for the test month counts. Missing proof stops the clock at 30 days.
• Applying in the wrong month after a pay change. If last month was high and this month is low, tell the agency so it can use present-month income.
• Paying zero on a past-due bill. That $25 in 90 days is a hard crisis requirement.
• Assuming the moratorium wipes the slate. Underestimate the April 16 balance and you're back facing a shutoff in spring.
• Ignoring the automated-renewal letter. If your income or address changed, an automated benefit can be recalculated or taken back.

Scam red flags. The FTC's guidance on utility impostor scams (opens in a new tab) warns that callers demanding payment by gift card, wire, crypto or a payment app aren't your utility. In Wisconsin, be wary of:

• A caller threatening a same-day shutoff of your gas in January, when the PSC moratorium bars heating disconnections for nonpayment
• Anyone charging to "file" a Home Energy Plus application, which is free
• Links to look-alike sites; the real online application is at energybenefit.wi.gov (opens in a new tab)
• A promise of WHEAP cash sent to your bank account

Hang up and call the number printed on your bill. Report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab).

Denied or Out of Funds: 4 Ways Forward in Wisconsin

Wisconsin's appeal process has 3 steps, and the first starts with a 15-day window, according to the PY2027 WHEAP Manual.

1. Local appeal. Contact the agency that handled your application within 15 days of your notice, by phone or in writing. The agency must respond within 5 days.
2. DOA appeal. Send DOA's appeal form (English, Spanish or Hmong, on the WHEAP page) or a letter to heat@wisconsin.gov or DOA/DEHCR, Attn: Fair Hearing, PO Box 7970, Madison, WI 53707. DOA answers within 14 business days of getting everything it needs.
3. Division of Hearings and Appeals. If you're still not satisfied, appeal to the Division of Hearings and Appeals, PO Box 7875, Madison, WI 53707-7875. You can start at any step.

You can also reapply during the program year if your circumstances change. If the money runs out, call 211 for local fuel funds, ask your utility for a deferred payment agreement, and check our rental assistance guide and emergency cash assistance guide. Older adults can look at our help for seniors guide, and our Lifeline guide covers phone bill discounts.

For how the federal program works in all states, read our national LIHEAP guide.

If you're not sure whether WHEAP or another program fits your situation, the free eligibility checker on Grantsights can sort that out in a few minutes. Pick "Individual," then "Personal financial help," and it lists official routes for bills, rent, food and benefits screening, not grants. For a Wisconsin heating or electric bill, it points you back to your county's WHEAP agency.

Sources

1. Wisconsin DOA: Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) (opens in a new tab) - 2026-27 income guidelines, forms, manual and plan links
2. Wisconsin DOA: PY2027 WHEAP Manual, revised August 2026 (opens in a new tab) - heating season, income test, crisis rules, appeals
3. Wisconsin DOA: FFY2027 LIHEAP plan for Wisconsin (opens in a new tab) - benefit range, crisis maximum, fund split, automated applications
4. Wisconsin DOA: Home Energy Plus SFY2025 annual report (opens in a new tab) - FFY25 households served and average payments
5. Wisconsin DOA: Home Energy Plus applicant checklist (opens in a new tab)
6. Wisconsin DOA: Available assistance and county agency map (opens in a new tab)
7. Wisconsin DOA: HE+ HVAC and Water Conservation Program Services (opens in a new tab)
8. Wisconsin DOA: online energy assistance application (opens in a new tab)
9. Public Service Commission of Wisconsin: March 25, 2026 moratorium release (opens in a new tab)
10. ACF: LIHEAP state median income table, FY2027 (opens in a new tab) - Wisconsin median income
11. ACF: FFY 2027 first LIHEAP block grant release, covering Wisconsin (opens in a new tab)
12. ACF: FY2027 first release, state allotments (opens in a new tab) - Wisconsin $100,155,878
13. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 state population estimates (opens in a new tab)
14. FTC: utility impostor scam warning, cited for Wisconsin (opens in a new tab)