ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today 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 additional benefits will help families respond to rising energy costs.
“At a time when the federal government is passing dangerous, heartless legislation to cut assistance for working families, we are standing in the breach,”
said Gov. Moore. “Not a day goes by without me hearing from Marylanders calling for support tackling the rising cost of energy we see nationwide. Today, we extend a hand to them, as a critical part of our work to make Maryland more affordable. We will not waver in our work to protect our people and leave no one behind.”
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.
“With rising temperatures and soaring energy costs, too many Marylanders are worried about keeping their homes safe and liveable year-round,”
said Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López. “We will do all we can to step up and support families who must choose between buying groceries and paying their electricity bills.”
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.