ANNAPOLIS, MD—Maryland households eligible for energy assistance will begin receiving increased benefits to help offset rising energy costs, Governor Wes Moore has announced.
The additional aid, administered through the Maryland Department of Human Services’ Office of Home Energy Programs, is partly due to increased appropriations for the Strategic Energy Investment Fund.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
For Fiscal Year 2026, households that received between $130 and $575 in electric benefits last year will now receive between $250 and $1,000. Those who received $150 to $301 in gas benefits last year will now get between $300 and $550.
Households already receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Income-Based Veterans Affairs Benefits are automatically eligible for the increased energy assistance.
New applications for energy assistance are open, and Marylanders not automatically eligible can apply at https://www.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.”
Governor Moore signed HB323 into law after the 2023 legislative session, expanding automatic eligibility for energy assistance to more families. As of May 2025, the Office of Home Energy Programs had received more than 156,000 applications for Fiscal Year 2025, approving over 117,000 households for benefits.
For more details on Maryland’s energy assistance programs, visit the Office of Home Energy Programs website or contact a local Department of Social Services office.
