Fix First Home › Ohio › HEAP Winter Crisis Program (heating repair and replacement)
HEAP Winter Crisis Program (heating repair and replacement) annual
Administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, through local energy assistance providers.
Once each winter, a household at or below 175% of the poverty line ($57,750 for four) facing a shut-off or running low on fuel can get help with the bill and, separately, up to $1,500 to repair or replace a homeowner's heating unit. It runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, by appointment with a local agency.
source · verified 2 October 2026 · amounts in US dollars
What it pays
| Upgrade | Condition | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| Heating unit repair or replacement | A separate benefit, for a homeowner's main heating source; in some cases wood or pellet stoves | $1,500 |
| Bulk fuel | Propane, fuel oil or kerosene | $1,200 |
| Bill help, municipal utility or co-op customers | Once per winter | $750 |
| Wood or coal | $650 | |
| Bill help, PUCO-regulated utility customers | Once per winter | $175 |
Who is eligible
| People in household | Annual income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $27,930 |
| 2 | $37,870 |
| 3 | $47,810 |
| 4 | $57,750 |
| 5 | $67,690 |
| 6 | $77,630 |
| 7 | $87,570 |
- larger households
- Eight or more: 60% of state median income ($94,881 for eight).
- when
- Disconnected, holding a shut-off notice, needing to start or transfer service, in PIPP Plus default or needing to enroll, or with 25% or less of a bulk fuel tank.
- who
- Owners and renters can get bill help; the heating repair benefit is for homeowners.
Where the application goes
By appointment with your local energy assistance provider or community action agency.
| If this is you | Apply here |
|---|---|
| Find your provider | energyhelp.ohio.gov |
The thing most pages get wrong
Customers of co-ops and city utilities get far more bill help than customers of the big regulated utilities: up to $750 against $175. The $1,500 heating repair benefit is separate from both, and many households who ask only for bill help never hear of it.
Two different 30-day limits
The Consumers' Counsel and the PUCO publish different 30-day income limits for the same program: $4,746.58 and $4,812.50 for a household of four. A household between the two should apply anyway.
Summer: air conditioning, July to September
The Summer Crisis Program, which can help repair central air conditioning or buy an air conditioner or fans for households with someone 60 or older, a medical condition or a disconnection notice, ran from 1 July to 30 September 2026.
Sources
- https://occ.ohio.gov/factsheet/heap-winter-crisis-program-wcp — primary source, read 2 October 2026
- https://occ.ohio.gov/factsheet/heap-summer-crisis-program-scp
- https://www.occ.ohio.gov/factsheet/home-energy-assistance-program-heap-and-winter-crisis-program
- https://puco.ohio.gov/utilities/electricity/resources/income-guidelines-for-utility-assistance
- https://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/num/JFS00330/pdf/