Utah’s winter heating program has two front doors, and which one a household uses depends on who lives there. Older adults, people with disabilities and families with a child under 6 can already apply. Everyone else in the general public starts with the November 1 opening, three days from now.

The state’s Home Energy Assistance Target program, known as HEAT, also keeps a separate lane for emergencies that runs all year. A household with a shutoff looming does not have to wait for a season to turn over.

The practical question for a Utah household is simple: when can a heat or power bill go to HEAT, and what does a shutoff notice change? The state’s own pages answer both, with some detail that depends on the household.

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Two start dates, one program

The Utah Department of Workforce Services says on its HEAT page that households with a disabled member, an adult 60 or older, or a child under 6 can apply from October 1. Applications from the general public are processed starting November 1.

The Utah Department of Commerce’s energy assistance page puts the same rhythm more briefly: “The HEAT program opens every November 1st for the heating season.” For a household with no one in the October 1 groups, November 1 is the day to apply.

Both windows run through September 30, or until the federal money behind the program, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), runs out. Whichever comes first ends the season, so an early application matters more than a late one.

The income test, in dollars

HEAT help goes to households whose total income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, according to Workforce Services. The household must also pay its own home energy costs, include at least one adult 18 or older or an emancipated minor, and include at least one U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen.

The state page lists no dollar figures, so the arithmetic falls to the household. The federal government’s 2026 poverty guidelines set $15,960 for one person, $21,640 for two, $27,320 for three and $33,000 for four. Taking 150% of those amounts gives $23,940, $32,460, $40,980 and $49,500 a year.

Those totals are an estimate built from the federal table, not a figure the state has published. The local HEAT office applies the actual test when it reviews an application, and the Workforce Services page says nothing about how much a benefit pays. That amount is decided case by case.

What to do when a shutoff notice arrives

Workforce Services describes HEAT as offering year-round energy assistance, and says a household at risk of a shutoff can contact its local HEAT office for crisis help. The crisis lane is separate from the seasonal opening, so a notice in July is handled the same way as one in December.

The Commerce page adds two steps for an imminent shutoff. It says to call 211 to find a county agency that may offer crisis funding, and to contact the utility itself to ask about payment arrangements. Neither page promises that crisis money will be available, and the state does not publish a dollar cap on it.

The department’s menu also lists a separate Shut-Off Protection page. Its details are not on the main HEAT page, so a household holding a notice should ask the local office what protections apply to its utility before the disconnection date.

Papers to have ready

The HEAT page lists the documents an application needs. Missing proof is the usual reason a file stalls, so gathering it before the office opens its general-public window saves days.

• Copies of power and heat bills.
• Proof of all household income for the month before the application.
• Proof of eligible medical expenses, child support and alimony paid the month before applying.
• Proof of disability, for households applying on that basis.

The department’s official HEAT application route is the free way to start, and the page also points to a HEAT Forms page and a list of local HEAT offices. Auxiliary aids are available at (801) 526-9240, and Relay Utah users can dial 711. Anyone who sees fraud, waste or abuse in the program can write to [email protected], and unfair treatment by HEAT can be reported at 866-205-4357.

Because income is counted for the month before the application, the timing of a paycheck or a Social Security deposit can shift which month’s papers apply. A household close to the line may find the choice of filing date worth a call to the local office.

Which Utah bill goes to HEAT first, and when?

A Utah household can apply from November 1, and one facing a shutoff can seek crisis help at any point in the year. The risk is a stack of bills, notices and income papers that gets mixed up, so a shutoff date arrives before the right application is on file.

The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit covers heating, cooling and home-repair help for older homeowners and includes an application log and renewal calendar. Part 5, Utilities and Home Costs, is the section on heat and power bills, and Part 7, The Yearly Routine, sets out when each program renews.

Track every Utah heat-bill application and renewal date in one relief kit →

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.