Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) is encouraging all eligible homeowners to apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) to help offset the rising cost of heating their homes this winter.

"We all are aware of the high price of gasoline. Home heating bills will experience similar price spikes this winter, making it more difficult for at risk households to meet the cost of keeping their home warm in the coming months. I encourage all eligible homeowners to take advantage of the HEAP program," said McDonough.

HEAP is a federally-funded program that assists eligible households in meeting their home energy needs. HEAP is provided through the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and managed by local county social services departments. To find out if you qualify for the program, residents should call the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs at (516) 227-7386 or (516) 565-4327. The county department of social services will help individuals obtain and fill out the appropriate HEAP application to determine funding amounts.

HEAP funding levels for qualified households vary and the amount of financial assistance available is based on several factors, such as income, household size, heating expense, and type of heat used. In addition, the amount of aid received is also affected by whether an individual pays directly for heat or makes payments through their rent.

The 2007-2008 total gross monthly income for your household size must be at or below the following levels:

You must also live in an eligible housing situation. This generally means that you must either pay directly for heating costs or pay rent that includes heating costs. If you live in subsidized housing, you must pay heating costs separately from your rent. Individual applicants must be U.S. citizens or qualified aliens.

In order to be eligible for emergency benefits, a household/applicant must be in an emergency situation. An emergency situation is defined as having less than a 10-day supply of fuel, having utility service terminated or having utility service scheduled for termination. The household/applicant must meet the income guidelines and be the customer and tenant of record, reside in the dwelling, and have insufficient liquid resources to meet the emergency.

"HEAP funding is limited, so I urge all residents who feel they qualify for the program to apply as soon as possible," noted McDonough.