Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who is eligible for energy assistance?

Renters, homeowners, residents of public housing, sub-metered homes (where you pay another company, not the utility directly), Roomers/Boarders are all eligible for Energy Assistance grants.

The most important factors in determining who is eligible for energy assistance are the size of your household and how much money ou made in the last 30 days. Our income eligibility guidelines are below:

FY25 Income Guidelines for MEAP and EUSP

Q. How Can I apply?

If you need to apply for Energy Assistance, you can apply in a variety of ways including:

Online

Q. What do I need to apply?

OHEP provides assistance to help you afford your energy bills. The benefit provided is based on your household income, how many people live in your household, and how much energy your household uses. To determine your benefit, OHEP needs information to prove:

• Your identity: We can accept any government-issued photo ID
• Who lives in your household: We will need social security cards or other federal government-issued documents (like a W-2 or Social Security Benefits Notice) with name and Social Security Name. Includes children living in the household.
• Your utility/heating information: we will need a copy of your utility bill and your heating bill (if you use things like oil, wood, or propane as the main way you heat your home)
• Households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) benefits in Maryland are categorically eligible to receive energy assistance and do not need to complete an application or provide additional documentation. We will issue OHEP benefits to categorically eligible households after their SNAP and/or TCA redetermination is approved.
• Your household’s income: We will need documentation of all income for everyone in your household. Documents can include: paystubs, social security award letters, pension statements.
• For a full list of documents we can accept, please visit:
  
  https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/acceptable-documents-energy-assistance/

Q. Can Energy Assistance help with an old bill?

Energy Assistance is a supplemental program, it is here to help make your utilities more affordable but it will not cover your entire bill.

Q. Will my payment plan affect my Energy Assistance?

No. The Office of Home Energy Programs works closely with all Maryland utilites and heating companies to make sure our team is getting the most up-to-date balances on every applicant’s account. Your payment plan will not prevent you from receiving the full benefit you qualify for.

Q. Do I need to wait for a turn off notice?

No! Do not wait until you have a turn off notice to apply! We can help prevent you from receiving a turn off notice if you apply before you receive one.

Q. How can my benefits be used?

Energy Assistance grants can be used to pay for:

• Electric and/or natural gas
• Heating Oil
• Propane
• Wood pellets
• Wood
• Kerosene (if that is how you heat your home)

Q. Can I give you some of my paperwork now, and the rest later?

Submitting an application without all of your documents will slow down the application process significantly. For the quickest service, please include all of your documents when you submit your application, no matter how you submit your application.

Q. Does the utility automatically know I have applied to Energy Assistance?

Unfortunately, utilities do not automatically know that you are applying for Energy Assistance. Utilities are notified that you are working with Energy Assistance when we place a hold on your account or commit to paying certain amounts to your account.

Q. My utilities are included in my rent, do I still qualify?

Yes! You can receive Energy Assistance benefits no matter what your situation is. If you are responsible for paying for your energy and heating costs, you are eligible for energy assistance.

Q. How do I check the status of my application?

Visit https://myohepstatus.org to see the status of your application. Since this site is updated when your local office has started working on your application, please allow 15 days for your application to show up on the site. You can also call the DHS call center or local office for updated information.

Q. How long will it be until I receive my benefits?

Every application is different because every household is different. We are required to:

• Review applications and documents within 14 days after we receive a complete application packet with the required documents. If a household does not submit all of their documents with the application, this will cause a delay. It’s important to note that the 14-day review period will not start until we receive ALL supporting documents along with the application.
• Make a final determination regarding an application within 45 days of receiving the full application packet.

Q. Where can I drop off my application?

All OHEP offices have secured drop-boxes to receive your application. You can find your local office by visiting: https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/local-home-energy-program-office/

Q. Are your offices open for walk-in appointments?

Local Offices are currently open and accepting walk-in appointments.

Q. Where do I apply?

You can apply for Energy Assistance online or by contacting your local Energy Assistance office. A full list of offices can be found on our website: https://dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home-energy-programs/local-home-energy-program-office/

Q. Can I apply in another county to get faster service?

Your energy assistance application must be processed by your local office. If you submit your application to another office in another county, it will cause a delay in processing your application as it is sent to the right office. Your application will only be processed when the application was received by the correct office in your local jurisdiction.

Q. Why is my energy bill so high?

There are a lot of reasons why your bill may be high since every home is different, some common reasons for high bills are:

• You may use a lot of energy
• There may be a lot of people in your
• You may be paying off old balances on your account
• Your home may be drafty or have other problems which allow the warm or cool air from your home to escape
• Your heat or air conditioning may be too high or too low depending on the season.
• One of your major appliances (ex: refrigerator, air conditioner, heater, washer, dryer) may not be functioning properly.

You can find out more about what is driving up your energy bill by checking your bill each month. Most utility companies show you how much energy you’re using each month on your bill, with many providing periodic reports for when you use energy the most.

If you are worried that your bill is high because your home is drafty, make sure you choose the “Energy Efficiency for Your Home– DHCD Efficiency Programs” on your Energy Assistance application.

Q. How do I get my service turned on again?

Call your local OHEP office to request an application and call your utility to discuss the status of your account. When you speak with the local OHEP office, tell them that your electric or gas has been turned off.

You may need additional resources to restore electric service if Energy Assistance grants are not enough. You may have to work with your utility to make additional arrangements to pay the remaining balance on your account.

If Energy Assistance alone cannot have your service turned back on, you may be eligible additional resources to pay off your energy bill:

• Emergency grants from Social Services
• Local Fuel Funds
• Local faith-based community resources
• Other sources identified by assisting agencies

Q. Does Energy Assistance pay the whole bill?

Certain benefits can significantly reduce or eliminate old balances on your account and lower your bill moving forward. Benefits will not necessarily cover your entire bill.

Q. How will you contact me about my application?

We will send you letters if we need information from you and to let you know the final status of your application. Some offices may also call you to ask for more information about your application.

Q. What is a household?

“Household” means an individual or group of individuals who are living together as one unit and for whom residential energy is customarily purchased in common or who make undesignated payments for energy in the form of rent.

Q. What income is included in determining eligibiity for energy assistance?

Income eligibility is based on all gross (before taxes and other deductions) income received by everyone in the household over the age of 18 during the 30 days preceding the date of application. Income for full-time students is not counted as income if the student’s full-time status is documented.

If an applicant receives income monthly from SSI, SSA, wages or a pension, but the income is received within the month, but not received within 30 days, the income is still counted. Example: If the employee applies on April 1st and the last paycheck was received on March 1st, that paycheck is counted.

Q. How do I document my income if I am self-employed?

Your most recent tax form Schedule SE is the best and easiest way to document your income if you are self-employed. Your income reported on the Schedule SE will be divided by 12 to get your 30-day income. In addition to the tax form, self-employed individuals must also complete and sign the Income Verification of Self-Employment Form

If you have not paid taxes but are self-employed, your income must still be documented. You can provide weekly, monthly and/or quarterly books/statements, ledgers, sales slips, cancelled checks, invoices, bank statements/deposits for the last 30 days.

Q. What if I do not have income for the 30 days before my application?

All household members 18 and over who claim zero income was received for the last 30-day application period must complete a Declaration of Zero Income form. A Household Worksheet must be completed to document how your household is meeting basic needs during the time of having no income. If it is indicated on the Household Worksheet that someone is assisting you in meeting the household’s basic needs a Resource Provider Statement must be completed.

Q. What is the Utility Service Protection Program, or USPP?

The Utility Service Protection Program (USPP) protects low-income families from utility cut-off and allows MEAP eligible households to enter into a year-round even monthly payment program with their utility company. An equal monthly payment plan based on the estimated cost of the customer’s average annual utility usage minus the MEAP benefits will be used to determine the even monthly payments for participation in the USPP.

Q. I received an arrearage grant before, am I eligible for another?

Arrearage Retirement Assistance benefits (the grants we use to pay off past-due balances) can only be received once per Five year period. Households that contain vulnerable members may be eligible to receive the benefits again if the household has:

• a household member that is at least 60 years of age; or
• a household member that is under that age of 2; or
• a household member that is medically fragile; and
• The previously received benefit is less than $2000 in EARA and $1000 in GARA,and
• Your current past-due balance is over $300

If you apply for an Arrearage Retirement grant before, your local Energy Assistance Office will automatically review your application to see if you are eligible to receive this benefit again.

Q. What is the current status of funding for the Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP)?

We began accepting and processing state fiscal year (FY) 2025 OHEP applications on July 1, 2024. Marylanders are actively applying online and in person at our offices across the state. OHEP is working with utility companies to make sure customers with a pending FY2025 application for the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) or the Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) benefits on file will not have their service terminated.

Q. When will payments be sent out?

We will begin processing payments for MEAP, EUSP, Gas Arrearage Retirement Assistance (GARA) and Electric Arrearage Retirement Assistance (EARA) at the end of July 2024.

Q. How much funding is available to help households through October?

In the first quarter of FY2025, we have allocated $10,000,000 for MEAP and GARA benefits and $25,000,000 for EUSP and EARA.

Q. What are the eligibility criteria for receiving energy assistance?

Households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) benefits in Maryland are categorically eligible to receive energy assistance and do not need to complete an application or provide additional documentation. We will issue OHEP benefits to categorically eligible households after their SNAP and/or TCA redetermination is approved.

Households that do not meet categorical eligibility but meet current income qualifications of 200% of the federal poverty level must provide the following documentation to be considered eligible for OHEP assistance:

• Photo identification – customers must present a valid photo ID or have a photo ID on record with OHEP to have their application reviewed. Valid forms of identification include any of the following:
  – driver’s licenses (current or expired; out-of-state driver’s license will be accepted with additional proof of residence);
  – valid identification card issued by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) (current or expired);
  – employment Identification card with picture (current or expired);
  – valid U.S. passport (current or expired); and
  – various immigration documents including alien registration cards and employment authorization cards.
• Proof of primary residency – customers must document they live at the residence in question in order to be determined eligible for assistance. The most common form of verification is a driver’s license, utility bill, or residential lease.
• Proof of social security – applicants must provide a social security card for all household members. In lieu of a social security card, the applicant may present a federally issued valid document such as a tax return showing the person’s social security number.

Customers that are undocumented or do not have a social security number should be referred to the local Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) for additional information. Undocumented customers might be eligible if there are others in the household with social security numbers.

Q. How is funding for a household determined?

The exact amount of the Maryland Energy Assistance grant is based on three factors:
1. type of fuel used;
2. household income relative to household size; and
3. area within the state where a customer lives.

The exact amount of Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) grant is based on four factors:

1. average kilowatt-hour cost in Maryland;
2. household primary heat source;
3. household income relative to household size; and
4. prior 12 months kilowatt usage.

Q. What about utility customers who have a current turn-off notice?

Customers should reach out to their local Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) for assistance. Marylanders can also reach out to their local Department of Social Services to see if they qualify for an Emergency Assistance Grant, community-based organizations like 2-1-1 Maryland, or contact their utility company directly.

Upon receipt of an energy assistance application, OHEP staff can request a 55 day hold be placed on a customer’s account that is in threat of termination. Once in place, the hold halts any possible termination of the utility during the 55 days immediately following the request.

This is intended to allow time for the customer to provide any additional information needed to complete the OHEP application and determine benefits. The customer will continue to receive their monthly bill and accrue additional charges during the 55 day period. The customer must continue to make regular monthly payments on the account.

OHEP pledge or payment amounts, made on behalf of a customer, may not be available at the time a 55 day hold request is made. Grant determination does not occur until the customer’s application is complete and all required verifications have been received for eligibility to be determined.

Q. Why will households receive a decrease in benefits compared to previous years?

We want to provide benefits to as many Marylanders as possible who have the greatest need. Last year, OHEP received a record 243,252 applications for energy assistance. We anticipate providing 270,000 households with energy assistance benefits in FY25. This significant increase as well as a return to pre-pandemic funding levels will impact the benefit amount this year.

Q. Do you expect to run out of funds before the end of the fiscal year?

We are working hard to make sure funds are available through the end of the fiscal year. We conducted data analysis to project the number of households that will be categorically eligible. We also estimated the number of Marylanders who will apply for energy assistance benefits. To help the most Marylanders, we proportionally adjusted the benefit amounts based on the projected number of households to be served.

Q. What contributed to OHEP closing the FY24 application process for the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) and the Gas And Electric Assistance Relief (GARA)?

The closure of the FY24 application process for MEAP and GARA was the result of several factors, including:

• Increased Eligibility Threshold: OHEP raised the income eligibility to 60% of the State Median Income for FY2024. This change significantly increased the number of households eligible for MEAP and GARA.
• Surge in Applications: OHEP experienced an unprecedented surge in applications, with a 68% increase in MEAP applications and a staggering 326% rise in GARA applications compared to previous years. This surge overwhelmed the system, leading to operational challenges in processing and managing the increased volume of applications.
• Funding Constraints: Despite the surge in applications, the program funding returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The combination of increased demand and limited funding resulted in the exhaustion of FY24 funding.

Q. Will customers who applied before the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2024 who were told that there was not enough funding for them now be served? Will they need to re-apply?

While OHEP temporarily halted processing FY24 MEAP and GARA benefits in April, local offices continued to review and issue EUSP and Electric Arrearages through the end of the state fiscal year (June 30, 2024).

Households who applied for MEAP and GARA benefits that were denied due to funds being exhausted received a notice that they need to reapply for benefits in FY25.

Q. What is being done to ensure a budgeting shortfall like this does not occur again?

Each year moving forward, we will conduct proactive data analysis to project the number of households that will be categorically eligible or apply for energy assistance benefits. We will continue to make appropriate adjustments to the program.

Q. Are there changes to arrearage funds?

Arrearage minimums for gas (GARA) and electric (EARA) arrearages will remain at $300. The maximum arrearage benefit for gas is $1,000 and the maximum for electric is $2,000. Funding for arrearages is limited.

Q. Will there be any changes to DHS’ partnerships with local OHEP partners?

No, not at this time. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with local administering agencies, and we are not changing contracts or agreements at this time.

Q. What is the status of changes to MDTHINK and a revised Consumer Portal?

We are working hard to make the MDTHINK Consumer Portal more accessible and user-friendly. While the improvements extend beyond just the OHEP program, the enhancements, both front-end and back-end, are driven by feedback from our customers.

We are working to finalize the OHEP website changes by early August 2024, and welcome continued suggestions for improvement.

Q. What are the next steps?

We are focused on completing application review and getting payments to Marylanders we serve at the end of July 2024. We will partner with the Public Service Commission in late July-September to review and discuss our proposed operations plan. We are asking for every community partner’s help in getting the word out to Marylanders about our OHEP changes so we can serve them more efficiently this year. We welcome your suggestions on how to improve our program, practice, and communications, including via social media.