UTILITY BILL GUIDE — HOUSING & PLACE
Could your O&R bill be lower? Check this newer income pathway.
A household does not have to receive a traditional public benefit to qualify for an O&R bill discount. The Enhanced Energy Affordability Program is for residential electric or gas customers whose income is below the state median and who are not already in the utility's traditional assistance program.
September 15 update: New York launched a statewide enrollment drive and says about 2.5 million additional households may be eligible. That announcement does not change O&R's posted application routes or discount table. Its statewide income roundup is also $1 to $2 higher than O&R's own first three household ceilings, so Rockland customers should use the utility-specific figures below when screening themselves.
September 16 closeout: The County's posted 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Pomona assistance session has ended. The application routes below remain available.
Start with these four checks
- Account: you are a residential customer receiving O&R electric and/or gas service.
- Current program: you are not already enrolled in the traditional Energy Affordability Program or a qualifying government-assistance program.
- Income: your household falls below O&R's posted state-median-income threshold for its size.
- Application: Enhanced EAP is not automatic. New York says customers must self-identify and register.
O&R's posted household limits
The utility separates eligible households into three tiers. Its current maximum posted threshold is $69,475 for one person, $90,853 for two, $112,230 for three and $133,609 for four.
- Five people: up to $154,986.
- Six people: up to $176,364.
- Seven people: up to $180,372.
- Eight people: up to $184,380.
Those figures are eligibility ceilings, not promised discounts. The exact adjustment depends on the income tier, electric or gas service and whether that service is used for heating. O&R lists electric adjustments of $76.81 in Tier 5, $43.44 in Tier 6 and $1 in Tier 7. Its posted gas adjustments are different: for heating, $9.79, $23 and $1; for non-heating service, $2.40, $3 and $1. The utility says all discount amounts are evaluated annually and may change.
What to gather before applying
O&R asks for utility bills from the last three months showing the utility name, account holder, account number and service address. It also asks for proof of income for every household member from the past month, such as pay stubs, Social Security or pension statements, self-employment records or other relevant documents.
- Apply online: use O&R's dedicated Enhanced EAP application ↗.
- Apply by phone: call 877-400-2501 if you cannot use the digital application.
- Apply by mail or fax: download the application from the O&R affordability page ↗. The utility lists CLEAResult – NY EEAP, 16350 Felton Road, Lansing, MI 48906, and fax 517-580-5123.
Wednesday's Pomona session has ended
The County's posted 11 a.m.–1 p.m. O&R and NYSERDA office-hours window ended Wednesday, September 16. The County had announced no later hours or extension by 1 p.m. Do not make an unscheduled trip based on the expired listing.
The evergreen online, phone, mail and fax application routes above remain available. Keep sensitive records with the utility or its program administrator; do not send account numbers, income records or benefit documents to The Rockland Edit.
Hundreds of O&R accounts are already using the program
O&R's July filing with the State Public Service Commission lists 951 Enhanced EAP participant accounts: 342 electric-only accounts and 609 combination electric-and-gas accounts. The filing lists 60 new enrollments during July. Those are companywide O&R figures, not a Rockland-only count.
Traditional assistance is a separate path
If a household receives HEAP, SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, certain veterans benefits, federal public-housing assistance or another program on O&R's list, it may qualify through the traditional Energy Affordability Program instead. O&R says some customers are enrolled when an agency notifies the utility, while people receiving several other qualifying benefits must apply. Use the utility's page or contact O&R to confirm the correct path rather than submitting sensitive eligibility details to a public comment or newsroom inbox.
What changes for a resident: an O&R customer below the state median income may qualify for a monthly bill discount even without a traditional public benefit. Check the household limit, gather recent bills and income records, and apply through O&R's online, phone, mail or fax routes.
Primary sources: Orange & Rockland Energy Affordability Program ↗; New York's September 15 enrollment-drive announcement ↗; New York Department of Public Service program guide ↗; O&R's July 2026 Enhanced EAP report ↗; and Rockland County's September 16 utility-help notice ↗, published September 1, 2026. O&R's eligibility, thresholds, discount amounts and application routes were checked September 16, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The County's scheduled Pomona window was marked elapsed; no extension surfaced. This guide uses O&R's customer-specific figures where they differ from the State's statewide roundup and does not determine an individual household's eligibility or final bill adjustment.