Gov. Moore expands energy assistance benefits for Marylanders

Rising energy costs are on the minds of many Marylanders, and Gov. Wes Moore knows it. Looking to help families with costs, Moore announced an increase in energy assistance benefits for eligible Maryland households.

The increased benefits come through the Maryland Department of Human Services Office of Home Energy Programs and will help families struggling with higher utility bills.

“At a time when the federal government is passing dangerous, heartless legislation to cut assistance for working families, we are standing in the breach,” Moore said. “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.”

Thanks in part to increased appropriations for the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, a household previously receiving between $130 and $575 in electric benefits will now get between $250 and $1,000. A household that received between $150 and $301 in gas benefits last year will receive between $300 and $550 in Fiscal Year 2026.

Households already receiving the following benefits are automatically eligible for the energy assistance benefits:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI);
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and
• Income-Based Veterans Affairs Benefits.

Marylanders who do not fall into any of the above categories can still apply for energy assistance by filling out applications at this link.

The Farmer’s Almanac predicts hotter-than-average temperatures for July and August this year, with average precipitation in July and below average rainfall in August. Making matters worse, rising temperatures impact city residents harder due to “heat islands” created by asphalt and concrete that absorbs and radiates heat. Temperatures in urban heat islands can run up to eight degrees hotter than in communities that have more trees and less pavement.

To help mitigate the heat caused by this and compounded by climate change, Maryland’s Departments of Natural Resources and Environment undertook the 5 Million Trees initiative. Part of that commitment involves planting trees in overburdened, underserved communities. As of January 2025, nearly 60,000 had been planted in urban communities.

“With rising temperatures and soaring energy costs, too many Marylanders are worried about keeping their homes safe and livable year-round,” said Rafael López, secretary of Maryland Department of Human Services. “We will do all we can to step up and support families who must choose between buying groceries and paying their electricity bills.”

In 2023, Moore signed a law enabling more Maryland families able to become automatically eligible for energy assistance. As of May 2025, the Office of Home Energy Programs had gotten more than 156,000 applications for energy assistance in Fiscal Year 2025, approving more than 117,000 of them.

For more information about Maryland’s energy assistance programs, visit the Office of Home Energy Program’s website here. Marylanders with more questions are invited to contact their local Department of Social Services by clicking this link.