Erie County Legislator Lynne Dixon will be hosting an upcoming Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Outreach to assist residents with this year’s application process.

HEAP is a federally funded program to assist income eligible Erie County residents with the costs of home heating, electricity, and energy conservation. The HEAP outreach will be administered by the Erie County Departments of Social Services and Senior Services and is open to all income eligible households.

Legislator Dixon will be hosting a HEAP Outreach on the following date:

• Friday, November 15, 2019 from 10am-5pm at the Willie Cotton Community Center, 52 Gates Avenue Lackawanna, NY

Applicants should come prepared with the following (see the HEAP web page for specific documentation requirements based on household situation):

• Proof of income received within last 30 days for all household members (pay stubs, SS or pension award letters, proof of child support, rental income, unemployment benefits, worker's comp, etc.)

• At least one form of ID for all household members, unless a driver’s license is provided

• Current utility bills, shut off or disconnect notices, if applicable

• Proof of all household resources including: current checking and savings account bank statements, proof of other resources (stocks, bonds, CDs, IRAs, 401k, etc.)

Applicants should also note the following information:

• Eligibility determination will not be made at the Outreach site.  Applicants should be advised that they will receive a letter in the mail in 30 business days with regard to eligibility determination. 

• · Households with potential life threatening heating emergency situations must report to the downtown Buffalo location, 460 Main Street 2nd Floor, Buffalo, NY 14202.  HEAP defines these situations as residents without utility service, residents with less than a ¼ tank or less than a 10 day supply of fuel, and/or residents who have a 72 hour disconnect notice from a utility company.

2018-2019 monthly income guidelines can be found here.  

For questions or additional information, please call the HEAP Hotline at (716) 858-7644 or HEAP Application Request Line at (716) 858-1969. Erie County residents can also apply online by visiting http://www.mybenefits.ny.gov/.