Governor Moore Announces Increased Energy Assistance Benefits

Governor Wes Moore has announced that eligible Maryland households will begin to see increased energy assistance benefits. Through the Maryland Department of Human Services Office of Home Energy Programs, the goal of the additional benefits is to help families better afford the rising energy costs. Due in part to increased appropriations for the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, a household receiving between $130 and $575 in electric benefits last year will now receive between $250 and $1,000, and a household receiving between $150 and $301 in gas benefits last year will now receive between $300 and $550 in Fiscal Year 2026. Households that are already receiving the following benefits are automatically eligible: 

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI);

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and

• Income-Based Veterans Affairs Benefits.

New applications for energy assistance are now open and Marylanders who are not automatically eligible are invited to apply at MarylandBenefits.gov. 

Additional Information:

Following the 2023 legislative session, Governor Moore signed HB323 into law, which enabled more Maryland families to become automatically eligible for energy assistance. As of May 2025, the Office of Home Energy Programs received more than 156,000 applications for energy assistance for Fiscal Year 2025, approving more than 117,000 households for benefits. 

For more information about Maryland’s energy assistance programs, visit the Office of Home Energy Programs.

Marylanders with questions are invited to contact their local Department of Social Services.