Heat Included in Your Rent? How Energy Assistance Works for Renters

1Can renters with heat included in rent apply?

In Massachusetts, homeowners and renters, including households whose cost of heat is included in rent, can apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) for the 2026 to 2027 season. (Mass.gov, Learn about Home Energy Assistance) Under the most recent readable state plan (FY 2026), a renter who does not live in a subsidized building or a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) building, and whose heat is included in the rent, is eligible for a full HEAP benefit. (Mass.gov, FY 2026 LIHEAP State Plan)

In Minnesota, the FFY27 manual says that if a household's energy costs are included in rent, it can still receive a grant using the backup matrix, a table of average energy costs. A household that is not required to pay for rent, heat, and electricity is not vulnerable to rising energy costs and is not eligible. (Minnesota Commerce, FFY27 EAP Policy Manual)

2What if you live in subsidized or tax credit housing in Massachusetts?

Under the most recent Massachusetts state plan we could read (FY 2026): (Mass.gov, FY 2026 LIHEAP State Plan)

• If you live in a subsidized or LIHTC building and pay a heating vendor directly, you may be eligible for a partial HEAP benefit.
• If you live in a subsidized or LIHTC building with heat included in your rent, and your monthly rent is more than 30 percent of your gross HEAP monthly income, you may be eligible for a partial benefit.
• If heat is included and your rent is 30 percent or less of your gross monthly income, you are not eligible for home energy assistance.

To see where you stand, divide your monthly rent by your household's gross monthly income. Massachusetts posted a draft FY 2027 plan that we could not read, so confirm the current rule with your local HEAP agency when you apply. (Mass.gov, FY 2026 LIHEAP State Plan)

3What if you live in Section 8, public housing, or tribal housing in Minnesota?

The FFY27 manual says living in Section 8 housing (project based or voucher), public housing, or tribal subsidized housing may affect your Primary Heat benefit: (Minnesota Commerce, FFY27 EAP Policy Manual)

• If you pay your own energy costs, your benefit is based on your actual costs.
• If heat is included in rent and you pay electric costs, your benefit is based on your electric costs. With no actual electric use, you get the minimum Primary Heat benefit.
• If you pay neither heat nor electric costs to a vendor, you are not eligible for EAP.

Electricity can also be built into rent without a separate bill. The manual calls this Electricity Included in Rent and treats it as an electric cost the household has. (Minnesota Commerce, FFY27 EAP Policy Manual) For FFY27, the Primary Heat benefit runs from an estimated $200 minimum to an estimated $1,400 maximum. (Minnesota Commerce, FFY27 EAP Policy Manual)

4How does heat-in-rent energy help work in Texas?

In Texas, the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) through local agencies. These rules come from the FFY 2027 draft state plan and TDHCA's CEAP FAQ. (TDHCA, Draft 2027 LIHEAP State Plan) (TDHCA, CEAP FAQ)

• The draft plan sets the income limit for heating help at 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. (TDHCA, Draft 2027 LIHEAP State Plan)
• Renters who pay utilities through their landlord can be helped: local agencies may make payments to landlords on behalf of eligible renters who pay their utility or fuel bills indirectly. (TDHCA, Draft 2027 LIHEAP State Plan) (TDHCA, CEAP FAQ)
• If you rent a room, the agency needs a copy of your rental agreement that addresses who pays utilities. (TDHCA, CEAP FAQ)
• The payment goes to your landlord under a signed vendor agreement, not to you. (TDHCA, CEAP FAQ) The agency must make sure the amount paid on your behalf is deducted from your rent, and it must tell you how much was paid. (TDHCA, Draft 2027 LIHEAP State Plan)

To apply, contact the local CEAP agency for your county, which you can find from TDHCA's CEAP page. (TDHCA, CEAP page)

Programs decide eligibility. Benefit Bull is free and never applies for you.

5How does heat-in-rent energy help work in Indiana?

Indiana's Energy Assistance Program (EAP) is run by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) through Local Service Providers. For program year 2027, the application opens October 1, 2026, at 8:00 AM EST, and closes April 30, 2027, at 5:00 PM EST. (IHCDA, Energy Assistance Program) The heat-in-rent rules below come from the FFY 2027 draft state plan and IHCDA's EAP page. (IHCDA, Draft FFY 2027 LIHEAP Model Plan) (IHCDA, Energy Assistance Program)

• IHCDA says: "If your utilities are included in rent, you may still qualify for EAP." Bring a Tenant Verification Statement or your current lease. (IHCDA, Energy Assistance Program)
• If your rent includes utilities, you must pay some rent out of pocket, meaning your rent is not 100 percent subsidized, to show an energy burden for the benefit. If your rent is fully subsidized and includes heat, you likely cannot get the benefit. (IHCDA, Draft FFY 2027 LIHEAP Model Plan)
• Households with utilities in rent score lower than households that pay their own utility bill, because their energy burden is generally lower. (IHCDA, Draft FFY 2027 LIHEAP Model Plan)
• There is no crisis benefit on a utility that is included in your rent. (IHCDA, Draft FFY 2027 LIHEAP Model Plan)
• When utilities are included in rent, IHCDA pays you directly, by mailed check or direct deposit. (IHCDA, Draft FFY 2027 LIHEAP Model Plan) Providers may take 55 days to decide if you are eligible, and a direct payment may take up to 120 days after approval. (IHCDA, Energy Assistance Program)
• The regular benefit ranges from an estimated $100 up to $625 (program year 2027 draft). (IHCDA, Draft FFY 2027 LIHEAP Model Plan)

You can apply online through LITT, by mail, or in person with your Local Service Provider. If you are denied, appeals must be in writing to your provider or through LITT within 30 days of the denial. (IHCDA, Energy Assistance Program) See our Indiana Energy Assistance Program guide for the full program.

Programs decide eligibility. Benefit Bull is free and never applies for you.

6How does heat-in-rent energy help work in Kentucky?

Kentucky's LIHEAP is run by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) with local community action agencies. These rules come from the state regulation, the CHFS LIHEAP page, and the FY 2027 preliminary state plan. (921 KAR 4:116) (Kentucky CHFS, LIHEAP) (Kentucky CHFS, Preliminary FY 2027 LIHEAP State Plan)

• Heating costs count when they are an undesignated portion of your rent. (921 KAR 4:116) (Kentucky CHFS, LIHEAP)
• The subsidy component operates in November and December, and crisis help runs from early January until the middle of March. (Kentucky CHFS, LIHEAP)
• Verification from the landlord is required to show utilities are included in the rent, and a copy of the lease may also be used. (Kentucky CHFS, Preliminary FY 2027 LIHEAP State Plan)
• Liquid resources must be $2,000 or less, or $4,000 with a catastrophic illness (official limits). (Kentucky CHFS, LIHEAP)
• A household in federally assisted housing, or receiving a utility allowance, is eligible for lower benefits. (921 KAR 4:116)
• When heat is in the rent, payment goes to your landlord by one-party check. A landlord cannot raise your rent because you received a LIHEAP payment. (921 KAR 4:116) (Kentucky CHFS, Preliminary FY 2027 LIHEAP State Plan)
• A heat-in-rent household may qualify for crisis help after a notice of eviction for nonpayment of rent. (921 KAR 4:116)
• Adults 60 and older on a fixed income, and disabled individuals in households with fixed incomes, may pre-register for heating assistance. (Kentucky CHFS, Preliminary FY 2027 LIHEAP State Plan)
• Heating benefits range from an estimated $21 up to $250, and crisis benefits go up to an estimated $400 (FY 2027 preliminary plan). (Kentucky CHFS, Preliminary FY 2027 LIHEAP State Plan)

To apply, contact your local community action agency. The CHFS LIHEAP line is (800) 456-3452. (Kentucky CHFS, LIHEAP)

Programs decide eligibility. Benefit Bull is free and never applies for you.

7How does the money reach you in Massachusetts and Minnesota?

Most HEAP payments in Massachusetts go straight to the heating vendor. (Mass.gov, Learn about Home Energy Assistance) Heat-in-rent households are the exception: under the FY 2026 state plan, they receive a check directly from the local agency, provided their tenancy is verified by the landlord or management company. (Mass.gov, FY 2026 LIHEAP State Plan)

In Minnesota, the manual says to make direct Primary Heat payments to the household when all energy accounts are included in rent or are in the landlord's name. (Minnesota Commerce, FFY27 EAP Policy Manual) If heat is in your rent but you pay an electric company, the benefit goes to your electric vendor first, up to your annual electric cost or $400 (the manual's official threshold), whichever is greater, and any remaining amount is paid to you directly. If your Primary Heat benefit is under that $400 official threshold, all of it goes to the electric vendor. Direct payments under $10, the manual's official minimum for a direct payment, are added to the vendor payment instead. (Minnesota Commerce, FFY27 EAP Policy Manual)

8What emergencies apply to heat-in-rent renters in Massachusetts and Minnesota?

In Massachusetts, the FY 2026 state plan's emergency criteria include eviction within 72 hours for a renter whose heat is included in the rent. (Mass.gov, FY 2026 LIHEAP State Plan) The same plan says households with no energy cost, which excludes heat-in-rent tenants, cannot get the SNAP-linked H-EAT benefit. Massachusetts HEAP has no asset test. (Mass.gov, FY 2026 LIHEAP State Plan)

In Minnesota, contact your service provider if your heat or electric is shut off or will be shut off, or you cannot get a fuel delivery. (Minnesota Energy Programs Application 2026-2027)

9How do you apply as a renter in Massachusetts or Minnesota?

Massachusetts HEAP is free. (Mass.gov, Learn about Home Energy Assistance) You can apply online at mass.gov/heatinghelp, in person at your local HEAP agency, or by mail, and the HEAP portal helps you find your agency. (Mass.gov, Learn about Home Energy Assistance) (Mass.gov, Home Energy Assistance Programs)

Minnesota EAP is free too. (Minnesota Commerce, Energy Assistance Program) Apply online at mn.gov/home, or print an application and mail it to your local Energy Assistance service provider. Find your provider at 1-800-657-3710. (Minnesota Commerce, Energy Assistance Program) (Minnesota Energy Programs Application 2026-2027) Applications must be postmarked or received within 60 days of the date you sign them, and the deadline for the 2026 to 2027 winter is May 31, 2027. (Minnesota Energy Programs Application 2026-2027) (Minnesota Commerce, Energy Assistance Program)

Texas, Indiana, and Kentucky application steps are in each state's section above. In any other state, find your local energy help program through USA.gov's help with energy bills page. (USA.gov, Help with energy bills) If you live in subsidized or public housing, ask your local LIHEAP office how your state treats it, because ACF says eligibility there depends on where you live and how you pay for utilities. (ACF, LIHEAP FAQs for Consumers)

You submit your application yourself on the official site. Benefit Bull is free and never files for you.