DPS - Long Island - Customer Outreach and Education

Your energy costs are made up of two factors: the cost of the energy product and the amount of the energy you use. No matter where prices go or what the season is like, you can make the most of your energy dollars by taking basic steps to reduce your usage. The less energy you use in your home, the more you will save.

Energy Saving Tips

• Insulating your home
• Sealing air leaks around windows, doors and foundations
• Adjusting your thermostat settings
• Following other simple and affordable steps outlined in our Tips for Efficiency checklist.

Home Energy Assessment
One of the things that you can do to control your bill is to find out where you are losing energy and money. You can conduct an energy audit of your home or apartment that will help show where problems exist and how they can be corrected.

• PSEG Long Island (PSEG LI) offers a variety of energy efficiency programs to help their customers reduce their energy use. Visit PSEG LI's Home Energy Assessments  or call 1-800-490-0075. Contact your utility and ask about its available programs.
• Do-It-Yourself Assessments: There are many do-it-yourself audits available on-line, such as the US Department of Energy’s on-line Energy-and Cost- Savings Calculators to identify ways to save energy in your home. You can also conduct a do it yourself energy audit. Try PSEG LI's Online Home Energy Analyzer to uncover potential savings in your home.

Federal, utility, and community programs

Programs are available to help consumers with their energy costs from the following sources:

• Government-sponsored programs: Contact your county's Department of Social Services or Office for Aging to learn about assistance programs such as the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), a federally funded program that provides grants to help low-income consumers pay for their energy costs. Additional information regarding the HEAP program and eligibility can be found at the HEAP website or visit myBenefits website to pre-screen and apply for programs you may be eligible for.
• NYS Electric and Gas Bill Relief Program —Residential customers who receive benefits from government assistance programs (i.e. HEAP, SNAP), will receive a bill credit on their past-due balance for service through May 1, 2022.
• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) —is a federally funded program that helps income eligible New Yorkers pay for electricity, propane, natural gas, wood, oil, kerosene, coal or other heating fuel. The amount of funding is limited, assistance services will be provided on a first come, first served basis.
• To learn more, visit the ODTA HEAP program page or contact your local Department of Social Services Office or the NYS HEAP Hotline at 1-800-342-3009 or Nassau County HEAP contact at DSS Phone: (516) 227-8519 or (516) 573-8626 (After Hours), Suffolk County HEAP contact at DSS Phone: (631) 853-8825 or (631) 854-9100 (After Hours).

Long Island HEAP Certifiers

Nassau County HEAP Contacts    

Suffolk County HEAP Contacts     

Rockaway Peninsula

Important HEAP Dates

• Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement component opens October 3, 2022
• Clean and Tune benefit opens October 3, 2022
• Regular Benefit component opens November 1, 2022
• Emergency component opens January 3, 2023
• Cooling Assistance component opens May 1, 2023

• Disaster Distress Helpline —provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 to connect with a trained crisis counselor
• Utility Sponsored Programs: Payment assistance programs are available through each of the major natural gas and electric utilities. In addition, income-eligible consumers can receive a discount on their monthly electric and/or gas bills, as well as other benefits, depending on the characteristics of the utility’s program. The chart below includes links to information on consumer programs available to help manage energy bills.

Payment options available from your utility

• Budget Plans - which provide equal monthly payments to help reduce bill fluctuations due to seasonal patterns of energy usage.
• Deferred Payment Agreements – option to pay overdue bills in reasonable installments over a period of time. May be available if you have fallen behind on your bill and cannot pay in full.

Other Long Island Utilities

• Freeport Electric - Information about Managing Your Bill, download PDF. Emergency Phone No. 516-378-0146 or email [email protected]
• Village of Rockville Centre, Electric Department - Billing Questions and Service Applications 516-678-9323 or call the 24/7 Power Emergency Hotline 516-766-5800.
• Village of Greenport, Electric - 631-477-0248 or after-hours utility emergency 631-477-0172

Community-Based Programs 

Service organizations and local community agencies provide financial aid, counseling services and assistance with utility emergencies.

• American Red Cross - serves more than 2.8 million people in Nassau and Suffolk counties. They respond to emergencies and disasters across the region. Contact the American Red Cross Long Island at 516-747-3500
• BeReadyLI - The BeReadyLI initiative is a collaboration between PSEG Long Island, United Way of Long Island, and 2-1-1 Long Island to help Long Islanders be prepared before, during, and after a disaster. 
• Salvation Army - provides recovery efforts for large-scale disasters. Download their Disaster Preparedness Handbook, visit their website or call 1-800-725-2769.
• United Way Long Island - provides vital support to Long Island families to ensure more resilient and equitable communities. Visit or call 1-631-940-3700
  • 211 Long Island - provides Long Islanders with free, comprehensive connection to non-emergency health and human services on a day-to-day basis and in times of disaster. Dial 2-1-1 to speak to a call center specialist or visit website to search their database for community, social or government services.
  • Project Warmth - is an emergency assistance program administered by United Way of Long Island to help families and individuals with energy emergencies. Visit, call 1-888-774-7633 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm), or 2-1-1. A one-time grant for fuel, plus an additional amount for fuel related electricity. The heating grant may be used to pay for any fuel source such as oil, gas, electric, propane, etc. Available until funds are exhausted.