New Brunswick’s Home Energy Assistance Program was a one-time $100 payment for low-income households, but the province has not announced it for 2026–27. The most recent round on gnb.ca was the 2021 program. If you need help with heating costs this winter, the main provincial option is the Emergency Fuel Benefit, worth up to $550 per calendar year for any New Brunswick household facing a heating emergency.
This page explains what happened to the Home Energy Assistance Program and what help you can get instead in the 2026–27 heating season. Figures are as listed on gnb.ca in September 2026.
What happened to the Home Energy Assistance Program
The Home Energy Assistance Program was run by the Department of Finance and Treasury Board. For 2021, it paid a one-time $100 benefit. To qualify, you had to:
- have been a New Brunswick resident on December 31, 2019, and have filed a 2019 New Brunswick tax return
- live in New Brunswick in a house, apartment or self-contained unit
- have a total family income (you and your spouse or partner) of $30,000 or less in 2019
- send a copy of an electricity bill dated after November 1, 2020, or your landlord’s name and phone number if electricity was included in your rent
The deadline for the 2021 benefit was June 30, 2021. The program page on gnb.ca no longer shows any details, and the province has not posted an application for 2026 or 2027. If the program comes back, the province will announce it on gnb.ca.
How much you can get now
These are the heating supports New Brunswick lists on gnb.ca as of September 2026.
| Program | Amount | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Fuel Benefit | Up to $550 per calendar year | Any household in a heating emergency, on social assistance or not |
| Electric Fuel Supplement | $150 a month, November to April | Social assistance clients who heat fully or partly with electricity |
| Non-Electric Fuel Supplement | $145 a month, November to April | Social assistance clients who heat with other fuels |
| Bulk Fuel Supplement | $870 for the season, or $145 a month | Social assistance clients buying wood or oil |
| Electricity rebate | 10% off electricity use on your bill | Residential electricity customers who pay HST |
The Emergency Fuel Benefit amount depends on the size of your household’s shortfall, so you may get less than $550.
Who qualifies
Emergency Fuel Benefit
Any New Brunswick household that is in an emergency and cannot afford to heat its home may qualify. You do not need to be on social assistance, and any type of heating counts. Social Development decides case by case. Examples of an emergency include:
- a high heating bill because of the cold that leaves you unable to pay your rent or mortgage
- having to choose between feeding your family and paying your heating bill
- an illness with unexpected medical costs that makes it hard to pay your heating bill
The department looks at all your household income and expenses to see if you are in a deficit. You do not have to use up your savings first. Investments such as RSPs, GICs and the cash value of life insurance are not counted. Cash on hand and bank accounts are only counted if they are over $2,000.
Fuel Supplement
The Fuel Supplement is only for people on social assistance. It helps with winter heating costs above what the basic assistance rate covers. You are not eligible if you:
- have housing costs of less than $100 a month
- receive the $100-a-month Income Supplement during the heating season
- live in subsidized housing where heat is part of your monthly cost
- live with your parents, board, pay only lot rent, or live in “maintenance only” housing
Electricity rebate
Since January 1, 2025, residential customers of NB Power, Saint John Energy, Edmundston Energy and the Perth Andover Electric Light Commission get a rebate equal to the provincial part of the HST (10%) on the electricity they use. It does not apply to service charges or rental fees. If electricity is included in your rent, you do not get it.
How to apply
Emergency Fuel Benefit or Fuel Supplement
- Contact your regional Social Development office, or email [email protected]. Regional offices are listed on the Emergency Fuel Benefit page.
- Explain your heating emergency. Be ready to go over your household’s income and expenses, since that is how eligibility is assessed.
- Social Development will review your household budget and decide if you qualify and for how much.
- If you are already on social assistance, ask your case worker about the Fuel Supplement for November to April.
Electricity rebate
You do not need to apply. The rebate appears on your monthly bill as “GNB 10% Rebate.” Questions go to your electricity company.
Heating upgrades
If you heat with oil and own your home, you may be able to get help switching to a heat pump. In February 2025, the province said eligible low- and median-income homeowners can get up to $15,000 from the provincial and federal governments. NB Power runs these programs through its Enhanced Energy Savings Program and Total Home Energy Savings Program. This will not help with this winter’s bills, but it can lower future ones.
When it’s paid
- Emergency Fuel Benefit: paid after Social Development approves your request. gnb.ca does not publish a set timeline.
- Fuel Supplement: paid monthly from November to April with your social assistance, or as one bulk payment of $870 for wood or oil.
- Electricity rebate: taken off each monthly bill automatically. If you are on equalized billing, the rebate applies to your actual charges, so you may want to adjust your monthly payment.
Things to watch for
- Looking for a $100 cheque that is not coming. The Home Energy Assistance Program has not been announced for 2026–27. Nothing is paid automatically.
- Waiting too long. Ask for the Emergency Fuel Benefit as soon as you know you cannot pay, before you run out of fuel or get disconnected.
- Assuming you must be on social assistance. The Emergency Fuel Benefit is open to any household in a heating emergency.
- The yearly limit. The Emergency Fuel Benefit is capped at $550 per calendar year, not per heating season. Help you get in December counts toward 2026, and help in January counts toward 2027.
- Scams. No government asks for a payment or gift cards to release a benefit. Read more on the scams page.
To see other benefits you may be missing, try the benefits checkup.
Common questions
Is there a New Brunswick Home Energy Assistance Program in 2026?
No 2026 or 2026–27 round has been announced on gnb.ca as of September 25, 2026. The last round listed was the 2021 program, which paid $100.
How much was the New Brunswick Home Energy Assistance payment?
For 2021 it was a one-time $100 for families with a total 2019 income of $30,000 or less. The deadline was June 30, 2021.
What heating help is there in New Brunswick for low-income households?
The Emergency Fuel Benefit gives up to $550 per calendar year to any household in a heating emergency. People on social assistance can also get the Fuel Supplement from November to April.
How do you apply for the Emergency Fuel Benefit in New Brunswick?
Contact a Social Development regional office or email [email protected]. Staff look at your household income and expenses and decide case by case.
Do you need to apply for the 10% electricity rebate?
No. It is applied automatically to residential electricity bills from the four New Brunswick utilities, starting with January 2025 use.
