St. Lawrence County residents and those elsewhere in New York state can apply for Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) in New York will be open for regular benefits Tuesday, Nov. 13.

St. Lawrence County residents can call (315) 379-2303 to receive an application.

The emergency component of HEAP will open on Jan. 2.

HEAP customers who need electricity to run their furnaces and receive a disconnect notice will not be able to apply for the emergency benefit until Jan. 2.

The state has tentatively scheduled a HEAP closing date of March 15 for regular and emergency benefits.

This heating season, eligible applicants may receive one regular benefit, one emergency fuel benefit, and one emergency electric benefit. The income guidelines for the 2018-2019 heating assistance program are as follows are a maximum monthly income of $2,391 for a household of one, $3,127 for two people, $3,863 for three, $4,598 for four, $5,334 for five, $6,070 for six, $6,208 for seven, $6,346 for eight, $6,483 for nine, $6,621 for 10 and $6,918 for 11.

Households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) or Temporary Assistance do not ordinarily need to complete a HEAP application.

Any questions about HEAP can be directed to the HEAP Unit at the number above. If you wish, you can communicate with the HEAP Unit by e-mail at heapoffice@co.st-lawrence.ny.us or heapoffice@stlawco.org.

In addition to HEAP applications being available at the St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services in Canton, applications are available at all St. Lawrence County Offices for the Aging, Catholic Charities in Ogdensburg, the St. Vincent De Paul Society in Massena, the Neighborhood Center in Gouverneur, and the mybenefits.ny.gov website.

The HEAP regular benefit for oil, kerosene, and propane this year is calculated to be between $675 and $726. The regular HEAP benefit for St. Lawrence Gas, Massena Electric, and National Grid is calculated to be between $350 and $401. This year’s regular HEAP benefit for wood, pellets, and coal is to be between $525 and $576.

Applicants who cut their own wood and need a HEAP benefit must either choose a wood vendor or have the HEAP benefit applied to their utility bill. The emergency HEAP benefit for oil, kerosene, and propane is calculated to be $675 ($525 for wood, $350 for natural gas, and $490 for electric heat).

The emergency benefit for heat related electricity necessary to operate a furnace is calculated to be $140. Emergency benefits will be based on income, household size, and available resources.