The Peru Gazette

Half of All New York Households Are Eligible for Monthly Discounts

Nearly One Million Households Already Enrolled

Visit ny.gov/EAP to Learn About Eligibility and How to Enroll

September 17, 2026 – Governor Hochul today launched a new statewide enrollment drive to help millions more New Yorkers get a monthly discount on their utility bills through the State’s Energy Affordability Program (EAP). While 1 million households statewide are already enrolled in the EAP, the State estimates that approximately 2.5 million more households are eligible to enroll for monthly discounts – including many that are now eligible due to Governor Hochul’s expansion of program eligibility. Depending on household income, the EAP can help New Yorkers save up to hundreds of dollars per year on utility costs, with discounts set to make a typical utility bill less than six percent of household income.

New York’s Energy Affordability Program (EAP) and Expanded Eligibility

Up to half of all New York State households are eligible to receive monthly utility discounts through the EAP. While some households are automatically enrolled based on their participation in other programs, many other households can enroll by applying online via ny.gov/EAP. Households can save up to hundreds of dollars per year on their utility costs with EAP discounts – and the size of the EAP discount is based on household income.

Households are automatically enrolled in the EAP if they are currently enrolled in the Home Energy Assistance Program or the Public Assistance (i.e., Temporary Assistance), which are administered by the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA).

Households are also eligible for EAP discounts if they are currently enrolled in numerous other programs. However, these households are not automatically enrolled in the EAP due to customer privacy restrictions that prevent automatic enrollment. These households can self-enroll to receive EAP discounts by applying online. This applies to households currently enrolled in:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Medicaid
• Veterans’ Disability or Survivors Pension
• Supplemental Security Income
• Lifeline Telephone Service Program
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Utility Guarantee
• Direct Vendor programs
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Safety Net Assistance
• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
• Head Start
• Tribal TANF
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

Effective January 2026, Governor Hochul’s administration also expanded eligibility to include New York households that are below the state median income, or below area median income in New York City, Westchester, and Nassau County. These households can also enroll by applying online via ny.gov/EAP.

Under this expansion, households at or below the following income levels are also now eligible for monthly utility discounts:

Household Size	ConEd & National Grid NYC	National Grid Long Island	National Grid Upstate New York and All other NY utilities
1	$113,400	$115,450	$69,477
2	$129,600	$131,950	$90,854
3	$145,800	$148,450	$112,232
4	$162,000	$164,900	$133,609
5	$175,000	$178,100	$154,986
6	$188,000	$191,300	$176,364
7	$200,900	$204,500	$180,372
8	$213,900	$217,700	$184,380

New EAP Enrollment Drive

Governor Hochul has directed the Department of Public Service to begin a new enrollment push to help more New Yorkers sign up for EAP discounts over the coming weeks and months.

As part of the enrollment drive, the Department of Public Service will do targeted digital advertising and work with other state agencies to use direct mail, email, and/or texts to inform more New Yorkers about EAP eligibility and enrollment information.

Social services agencies will cross-reference customers enrolling in other programs to EAP, agencies will partner with community organizations to attend in-person enrollment events, and utilities will directly inform customers on the enrollment process.

State agencies dealing with the public will also promote the program on their digital boards inside their public-facing offices.

Assemblymember Grace Lee said, “New York families are already stretched thin, and harmful federal policies are driving energy costs even higher. I thank Governor Hochul for making sure more households can access the relief they deserve. Half of all New York households may qualify, and I encourage every eligible New Yorker to visit ny.gov/eap and enroll.”