The Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) provides assistance to low-income individuals and families living in state of Maryland to afford heating bills so that heating crises can be minimized. The OHEP provides assistance through Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP), which is a comprehensive energy program for qualified residents of Maryland. MEAP also provides cash assistance to individuals and families so that they can replace or renew their heating equipment to make it energy efficient.

If you are not a homeowner and your heating bills are included in rent, MEAP will send your energy bills to landlord. In case you are homeowner or pay electricity bills, your payments will be sent directly to your energy supplier. The amount of payments you receive for heating bill depends upon your income and use of energy.

MEAP assistance doesn't have a time-limitation. If you qualify for the program, you will continue receiving assistance as long as you stay qualified.

In order to receive assistance through MEAP, you will have to be a resident of Maryland and a U.S citizen. Residents of Maryland with qualified alien status can also apply for the program. In addition to these requirements, you will also have to meet certain income related requirements to receive assistance.

It's easy to apply for MEAP. All you have to do is to visit SEAL website and apply online through an easy application procedure. If you want to apply by mail, you can download application form and send completed form to your nearest Energy Assistance Office.

If a household qualifies for MEAP, it can also apply for Utility Service Protection Program (USPP). The program enrolls most MEAP beneficiaries and will help you to avoid energy cut offs.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for MEAP assistance, you will have to meet certain eligibility requirements:

• You must be a resident of state of Maryland
• You must be a U.S citizen or a qualified alien
• Your annual income must be within income limits set for the program. You can check whether you qualify or not by comparing your income against household size in this MEAP income eligibility chart.
• If you receive SSI, Food stamps, or TCA, you may automatically qualify for MEAP
• If you are disabled and you live on a low fixed-income, you may automatically qualify for MEAP

If you meet all these requirements, you can expect to receive MEAP benefits as soon as your application is approved.

Maryland Energy Assistance Program Application Instructions

In order to apply for MEAP assistance, you have different options:

Apply Online

You can apply online for MEAP assistance through SAIL by clicking here. SAIL provides easy electronic application filing for various programs in Maryland.

Apply by Mail

If you want to apply by mail, you will need to download an application and send completed application to your nearest Energy Assistance Office by mail.

Apply in Person

If you want to apply in person, you can locate your nearest Energy Assistance Office and fill out an application there. If you need any assistance, you can call at 1-855-583-8976​.