By: Joshua Boardman, Basic Needs Coordinator

The northeast of the U.S.  has already experienced some very cold winter days. As the cold intensifies, some students face putting heating oil in their homes or food on their tables. The decision is not always easy to make to support you and your family. One month of not paying your electricity to put food on your table can have long-lasting effects. So, what options are available to help keep our homes warm this winter and help us make sure we are not falling behind on other bills while shifting resources to survive?

The state of New York, and all other states, have a Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) to support low-income people purchasing the energy needed to heat their homes during the winter. In New York, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) administers this program. The program offers several different assistance options, including:

• Regular benefits are for households that pay directly for heat based on actual usage and are paid directly to the vendor that supplies the household's primary heat source.
• Regular Arrears Supplement is a one-time benefit based on the actual current past due utility payment, which is paid directly to the vendor who supplies the heat source.
• Emergency HEAP benefit can help you heat your home if you have a heat or heat-related emergency.
• Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement can help you repair or replace your furnace, boiler, and other direct heating equipment necessary to keep your home's primary heating source working.
• Clean and Tune Benefit provides eligible households with a review of energy efficiency services, including cleaning primary heating equipment to ensure proper and efficient operation of the heating equipment. Other benefits include chimney cleaning, minor repairs, carbon monoxide detectors, or programmable thermostats.
  

To find out more about income eligibility requirements for any of the above programs, visit the New York State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) website. To find your local New York contact and begin the application process, visit the Local District Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) contacts page.

Have other questions about potential resources? Contact the basic needs program at BasicNeeds@esc.edu.