If you heat your Brooklyn or Queens apartment with gas — and millions of New Yorkers do — your utility provider is almost certainly National Grid. And if you’ve been watching your gas bill creep up while feeling like you make too much for traditional assistance programs, there’s now a program built for you. The Enhanced Energy Affordability Program, or EEAP, launched January 13, 2026, and it dramatically expanded who qualifies for monthly bill discounts in New York State.
This is the first major expansion of utility assistance in New York since the original Energy Affordability Program, and it’s specifically designed to catch the working New Yorkers who’ve fallen through the gap — too high earning for HEAP and SNAP-tied programs, but still squeezed by rising gas costs. Here’s how it works, who qualifies, and exactly what the credits look like.
Two Programs, One Goal — Don’t Confuse Them
National Grid runs two separate affordability programs, and they don’t overlap:
- EAP (Energy Affordability Program): The traditional discount program. You qualify automatically if you receive a HEAP grant, or you can self-enroll if you receive SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, TANF, Safety Net Assistance, Lifeline, Veterans Disability/Survivors Pension, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or Child Health Plus.
- EEAP (Enhanced Energy Affordability Program): The new income-based program. You qualify based on household income alone — no other benefits required.
Per National Grid’s official EEAP page: “You can’t be enrolled in both the Energy Affordability Program (EAP) and EEAP. If you are currently enrolled in EAP, you do not need to apply for EEAP.” If EAP gets you a bigger discount (and for HEAP recipients it almost always will), stay there.
EEAP Income Limits — Who Actually Qualifies
This is the big change. EEAP uses generous income thresholds that catch a much wider slice of working New Yorkers. From the official EEAP application page, the maximum annual income levels for 2026 are:
- Household of 1: $113,400
- Household of 2: $129,600
- Household of 3: $145,800
- Household of 4: $162,000
- Household of 5: $175,000
- Household of 6: $188,000
- Household of 7: $200,900
- Household of 8: $213,900
Read those numbers carefully. A single New Yorker earning $100,000 in Bushwick or Astoria — who would be turned away from nearly every other utility assistance program — qualifies for EEAP. A four-person household at $160,000 qualifies. This is unprecedented.
The EEAP Tier Credits — What You Actually Save
EEAP discounts are tiered by where your household income falls relative to Area Median Income (AMI). From National Grid’s own published tier table, effective January 13, 2026:
- Tier 7 (under 60% AMI): $77.27/month gas heat credit, $1.92/month gas non-heat credit
- Tier 8 (60% to under 80% AMI): $3.00/month gas heat, $3.00/month gas non-heat
- Tier 9 (80% to 100% AMI): $1.00/month gas heat, $1.00/month gas non-heat
The lowest-income tier is where the real money is. A Tier 7 household saves $927.24 per year on gas heat — meaningful in a borough where National Grid bills routinely run $200+ during winter months. Tiers 8 and 9 are smaller, more symbolic credits. Worth applying for, but don’t expect them to transform your monthly bill.
How EEAP Compares to the Traditional EAP
For context, here are the traditional EAP tier credits, effective December 1, 2025, for downstate gas customers:
- Tier 1 (Regular HEAP payment): $77.27/month gas heat
- Tier 2 (HEAP + 1 add-on): $112.97/month gas heat
- Tier 3 (HEAP + 2 add-ons): $138.67/month gas heat
- Tier 4 (Direct Voucher/Utility Guarantee): $139.38/month gas heat
If you receive HEAP and any add-on benefits, EAP is the better program. EEAP is built for the people HEAP misses.
How to Apply for EEAP
The application is online, and there’s a phone help line if you need it. Required documents:
- Proof of income from the past month for every household member — pay stubs, Social Security statements, pension statements, self-employment records
- An active residential gas or electric account with a participating utility
EEAP is available to customers of National Grid, Con Edison, Central Hudson, National Fuel, NYSEG, Orange & Rockland, and RG&E — so this isn’t just a National Grid program. If you live anywhere in New York State and pay a utility bill, check your eligibility.
Apply here: https://nyeeap.com/program
Application help line: 877-400-2501
FAQ: https://nyeeap.com/faq
One Important Reminder for Existing EAP Recipients
National Grid’s EAP page contains a notice worth highlighting: “No customer will be disenrolled from EAP before November 30, 2026. If you were disenrolled on or after October 1, 2025, you will be automatically re-enrolled. No action is required on your part.” If you received an EAP disenrollment letter in late 2025, your discount should be back. Check your most recent bill for the Energy Affordability Credit line item.
Action Steps
- Figure out which program you qualify for. If you receive HEAP, SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, or TANF, apply for EAP — the traditional program. If you don’t receive those benefits but your income is below the EEAP threshold, apply for EEAP.
- Gather your last month of income proof for every household member. EEAP requires complete documentation, not estimates.
- Apply online at nyeeap.com/program. The application saves your progress, so you can return if you’re missing a document.
- Stack with other programs. Pair EEAP or EAP with our affordable internet guide and HEAP cooling assistance for compounded monthly savings.
- If you’re confused, call. National Grid’s Energy Affordability Team is reachable at 1-718-403-2216, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The EEAP help line at 877-400-2501 specifically handles new applications.
Most New Yorkers paying a National Grid bill in 2026 don’t realize they qualify for any kind of help. EEAP changed the math. Spend ten minutes checking — at $77/month, the worst case is finding out you don’t qualify, and the best case is nearly $1,000 a year back in your pocket.
