Help paying for heating repairs and bills in Pennsylvania

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

Is there help in Pennsylvania if you cannot afford heat or a heating repair?

Yes, for households that qualify on income. Three state programs bear directly on heating: LIHEAP cash grants toward the heating bill, LIHEAP crisis help when heat is lost or about to be lost, which can include repairing or replacing broken heating equipment, and the Weatherization Assistance Program, which can include work on the heating system itself. Utility customers also have winter shutoff protections set by the Public Utility Commission.

What does LIHEAP pay for?

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program gives a one-time cash grant of $200 to $1,000 toward heating, depending on household size, income and fuel type. The money goes directly to your utility or fuel company and is credited to your bill. Renters and homeowners can both apply, and you do not need to be on another assistance program or behind on your bills.

The 2026-2027 season runs from November 2, 2026 to April 23, 2027. Apply online through COMPASS, or on a paper application returned to your county assistance office. The LIHEAP hotline is 1-866-857-7095, Monday to Friday.

The income limits, effective February 1, 2026:

The state's table continues to larger households, adding $8,520 for each person beyond 10.

What if the furnace or boiler breaks?

That is what LIHEAP crisis help is for. The state's crisis grants cover, among other emergencies, broken heating equipment or leaking lines that must be fixed or replaced, running out of fuel, having less than a 15-day supply, and a shutoff or threatened shutoff of the main heat source. Eligible households receive help within 10 business days, or sooner in a life-threatening situation, and crisis help is available 24 hours a day; in most counties the contact is the county assistance office. If you have not had a regular LIHEAP grant this season, you apply for the program first.

The repair side is run with the Department of Community and Economic Development and local weatherization agencies, under the name LIHEAP Emergency Services, typically from November through March. Its primary services are:

• heating system repair;
• replacement of unrepairable heating systems;
• repair or replacement of broken gas or fuel lines;
• repair of hot water heating systems;
• thawing frozen heating pipes.

It can also lend a temporary heater, repair broken windows or provide blankets alongside those services. The county assistance office decides eligibility, then either resolves the problem or refers the household to the local weatherization agency for an in-home evaluation. Funding depends on the emergency and the repairs needed.

What is the Weatherization Assistance Program?

A federally funded program, run by the state through local agencies in all 67 counties, that makes low-income homes more efficient and safer. Each home gets an energy audit or follows a Department of Energy priority list. The work can include cleaning, tuning or replacing heating and cooling systems, duct and pipe insulation, repairing duct leaks, programmable thermostats, and health and safety work such as testing and repairing heating system safety features and installing carbon monoxide alarms. Insulation and air sealing are part of it too.

Households qualify at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and automatically if anyone in the home receives SSI, TANF or LIHEAP. Priority goes to elderly residents, people with disabilities, families with children and households with high energy use or burden. The limits, effective January 13, 2026, start at $31,920 for one person and $66,000 for a family of four. To apply, contact your local weatherization provider.

Can the utility shut off service in winter?

Not for income-eligible households, without permission. The Public Utility Commission says that between December 1 and March 31, utilities it regulates cannot shut off service to income-eligible households for non-payment unless the commission allows it. That can include electric, natural gas or heat-related water service. There are exceptions, such as suspected fraud, meter tampering or safety concerns. In a 2026 enforcement case the commission described 250 percent of the federal poverty level as a key income threshold for these protections.

The commission's advice is to call your utility first. Utilities run Customer Assistance Programs and hardship funds, can enroll you in LIHEAP and can set up payment plans. If that does not resolve it, the PUC's Bureau of Consumer Services is at 1-800-692-7380, and Pennsylvania's 211 service lists local help.

Are there tax credits or rebates for a new system?

Not federal tax credits for new work. ENERGY STAR says the federal credits for efficient furnaces, boilers, air conditioners and heat pumps ran through December 31, 2025. Some utilities offer their own rebates or incentives for certified heat pumps and smart thermostats; ENERGY STAR says many utilities offer incentives for certified heat pumps and points to its online rebate finder. Ask your electric and gas utility what is available before you sign a contract.

What should you do first?

1. If there is no heat now, call your county assistance office about LIHEAP crisis help.
2. If a shutoff notice has arrived, call the utility and ask about assistance programs and payment plans.
3. If the system works but bills are high, apply for LIHEAP and ask your local weatherization agency whether you qualify for an audit.

For the repair-or-replace decision itself, see repair or replace, and for signs that call for a technician, see signs your system needs a professional. Contractors are listed on the HVAC contractors directory page.

Sources

1. Apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
2. Pennsylvania LIHEAP Emergency Services Program, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
3. Weatherization in PA, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
4. Weatherization Assistance Program Income Eligibility, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
5. #CallUtilitiesNow – PUC Urges Consumers to Contact Utilities About Payment of Past-Due or High Bills as Annual Winter Utility Termination Moratorium Ends on March 31, 2023, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
6. PUC Doubles Penalties in FirstEnergy Settlement Over Improper Winter Termination, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
7. Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency, ENERGY STAR
8. Air-Source Heat Pumps, ENERGY STAR
9. Smart Thermostats, ENERGY STAR