Ohio PIPP Plus Income Limits 2026 & What You'll Pay

If your gas or electric bill in Ohio is more than you can pay, PIPP Plus can change how it works. Instead of paying what you used, you pay a set share of your income — 5% for gas and 5% for electric, or 10% if your home is all-electric. The state covers the rest, and your old balance shrinks a little with each on-time payment.

This guide covers Ohio’s PIPP Plus rules for 2026, for customers of gas and electric companies regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). We read the state’s program pages and the Ohio Administrative Code rules themselves on October 31, 2026. Since April 6, 2026, the program has been run by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) instead of the Department of Development — the application process did not change. For help that works in every state, see our LIHEAP energy bill guide.

The Short Answer

• Who qualifies: Ohio households at or below 175% of the federal poverty guidelines — $57,750 a year for a family of four — with gas or electric service from a PUCO-regulated company. Renters can qualify.
• What you pay: 5% of gross monthly income to the gas company plus 5% to the electric company if you heat with gas. 10% to the electric company if your home is all-electric. $10 minimum.
• Your old balance: each on-time, in-full payment takes off 1/24 of it. 24 on-time payments clear it.
• The trade-off: joining PIPP cuts your HEAP benefit by 75%, and HEAP money goes to your old balance, not your monthly PIPP payment.
• How to apply: year round, online (on a computer, not a phone), by mail, or at your local energy assistance provider. Expect up to 12 weeks.

PIPP Plus Income Limits 2026

These are the state’s figures for PIPP, copied from the ODJFS PIPP page. You can qualify with either your income over the past 12 months or your income over the last 30 days. Count everyone’s gross income except the wages of dependent children under 18.

Household size	12-month income limit (175%)	30-day income limit (175%)
1	$27,930	$2,295.62
2	$37,870	$3,112.60
3	$47,810	$3,929.59
4	$57,750	$4,746.58
5	$67,690	$5,563.56
6	$77,630	$6,380.55
7	$87,570	$7,197.53
8	$97,510	$7,786.70*
Each additional person	+$8,995*	—

*We checked every number against the 2026 federal poverty guidelines. Rows 1 to 7 match exactly. The two starred figures do not — see three things the state’s tables get wrong below.

The 30-day option matters if you just lost a job. If last month’s income was low, you may qualify now even if your yearly income was higher. The rule adds one condition: if the last 30 days don’t reflect your usual income, the agency can ask for a full year of proof.

What You’ll Pay Each Month

PIPP Plus does not look at your actual bill. It looks at your income:

Your gross monthly household income	Gas heat: gas bill + electric bill	All-electric home: electric bill
$150	$10 + $10 (minimum)	$15
$900	$45 + $45 = $90	$90
$1,800	$90 + $90 = $180	$180
$3,000	$150 + $150 = $300	$300

Our arithmetic from the state’s 5% / 10% rule and $10 minimum. Your agency figures the exact amount from the income you report.

When PIPP is a good deal: when your real winter bills are bigger than these amounts, or when you have a large past-due balance. When it may not be: if your bills are small compared to your income, 5% + 5% could be more than you pay now. Compare your last 12 months of bills before you sign up.

How Your Old Balance Goes Away

This is the part most people miss. PIPP Plus is not only a lower bill — it is a way to erase what you already owe.

• Each time you make your full PIPP payment on time, the utility credits 1/24 of your old balance (your “arrearage”). It also credits the difference between your PIPP amount and that month’s real bill.
• Make 24 on-time, in-full payments and the state says your old balance with the utility “will be eliminated.”
• Missed payments earn nothing. No credit is given for a month you skip. The rule also says arrearage credits “may not be earned based on payments made from federal funds” — so HEAP money doesn’t earn the credit for you.
• No late fees, no deposit. Ohio’s rules bar late fees on PIPP accounts and bar gas companies from charging new PIPP customers a deposit.

Your two dates. Your bill shows an Anniversary Date (the day you first joined) and a Reverification Date. You must reverify your income every 12 months, and you must be caught up on any missed PIPP payments by your Anniversary Date. If you miss that, you get one billing cycle to catch up before you are dropped.

The HEAP Trade-Off: A 75% Cut

Ohio’s rules require PIPP customers to apply for HEAP (the state’s federal heating help) and to accept free weatherization if it’s offered. That sounds like extra help on top of PIPP. Here is what the state’s own pages say happens:

• Your HEAP benefit shrinks. The ODJFS HEAP page says: “those on both HEAP and PIPP receive a 75% HEAP reduction.”
• HEAP doesn’t pay your PIPP bill. Under the gas rule, HEAP money “shall not be counted as part of the monies paid by the customer to meet the monthly PIPP plus income-based payment requirement.” It goes to your old balance first.
• So keep paying your own PIPP amount every month, even in a month when HEAP posts to your account. Otherwise you can fall behind and lose the 1/24 credit.

Weatherization is part of the deal. If you own your home and free weatherization is offered, the electric rule says you must accept it “as a condition for continuing eligibility.” Renters must accept it too, unless the landlord refuses. Free insulation and repairs can lower the bill PIPP is covering — see our weatherization guide and, for people 60 and older, LIHEAP vs. weatherization for seniors.

Three Things the State’s Tables Get Wrong

We checked every figure on the state’s three income tables against the federal poverty guidelines published by HHS. Here is what we found on October 31, 2026:

1. The “add $8,995” line is out of date. For households over eight, the PIPP page says to add $8,995 per person. That is 175% of the 2023 add-on ($5,140). The 2026 add-on is $5,680, and 175% of that is $9,940. A nine-person household is $945 a year better off under the 2026 math.
2. The Winter Crisis table mixes two years. For 1 to 4 people, the Winter Crisis page uses 2026 limits. For 5 to 8 people, its yearly limits match the 2025 guidelines — for example $65,887.50 for five people, while the PIPP and HEAP pages show $67,690. Its whole 30-day column also matches 2025.
3. The written electric rule still says 150%. The gas rule, OAC 4901:1-18-12, sets the limit at 175%. But the electric rule, OAC 122:5-3-02, still reads “one hundred fifty per cent” — even though the state’s program page says 175% for both. That rule is due for its five-year review on November 25, 2026.

What this means for you: if your household has five or more people, or your income is between 150% and 175% of poverty (for example, $49,500 to $57,750 a year for four people), and you are told you’re over the limit, ask which table the agency used and point to the PIPP page’s 2026 figures. Write down who you talked to and when. If you are denied, our LIHEAP denial guide explains how to ask for a hearing.

How to Apply

You can apply any time of year. There are three ways, all listed on the ODJFS application page:

1. Online — log in or create an OHID account, find the Energy Assistance Portal, and request access. You must use a computer with Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge. The state says the online application does not work on a smartphone or tablet.
2. By appointment with your local energy assistance provider — usually your community action agency.
3. By mail — download the Energy Assistance Application, or pick one up at your local provider or Area Agency on Aging. Sign it — an unsigned application is delayed.

What to have ready:

• Proof of income for every household member (30 days, or 12 months if asked)
• Your most recent gas and electric bills — the account must be in your name
• A list of everyone in your household, with Social Security numbers and birth dates
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for each household member
• A photo ID (the Consumers’ Counsel lists this)

How long it takes: the application page says 12 weeks; the HEAP page says to allow 90 days. If your service is about to be cut off, don’t wait for PIPP.

If You’re Facing a Shutoff Right Now

• Winter Crisis Program (November 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027). Make an appointment with your local energy assistance provider. It helps households at or below 175% of poverty who are facing disconnection, already disconnected, or low on bulk fuel. If you still owe money after the help, households with a PUCO-regulated utility must sign up for PIPP or another payment plan.
• The $175 reconnect order (October 12, 2026 – April 16, 2027). Any customer of a PUCO-regulated gas or electric company can pay $175 to keep or restore service, with no income limit. For PIPP customers, the rest is added to the PIPP balance. Our winter shutoff rules guide covers this order and other states’ rules.

When Your Income Goes Up: Graduate PIPP

If your income rises above the limit, or you choose to leave, you don’t jump straight to full bills. Under Graduate PIPP Plus, you pay the average of your last PIPP payment and your budget-bill amount. The gas rule runs this for 12 billing cycles and takes 1/12 of your old balance off with each on-time payment. The electric rule uses a 14-month budget plan for the average. Any balance left at the end may become due, usually through a payment plan. You must be caught up on missed PIPP payments within two billing cycles to qualify.

If you were dropped, you can re-enroll after you pay the missed PIPP payments — the rules cap this at 24 months of payments, and never more than you owed.

How We Checked This

We read every source below ourselves on October 31, 2026.

• ODJFS program pages for PIPP, HEAP, the Winter Crisis Program and the application (jfs.ohio.gov), read in a full browser because the pages load their text with JavaScript.
• The Ohio Administrative Code on codes.ohio.gov: the electric PIPP rules 122:5-3-02 and 122:5-3-04 (effective November 25, 2021; page updated August 14, 2026) and the gas rule 4901:1-18-12 (effective November 24, 2022). codes.ohio.gov did not answer direct requests, so we read it through a browser service. We read the gas payment, credit and graduate rules (4901:1-18-13 to -16) on Cornell LII’s copy of the code.
• The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel fact sheets on PIPP Plus and the Special Reconnect Order (occ.ohio.gov).
• HHS poverty guidelines for 2026, 2025 and 2023 (aspe.hhs.gov), to check the state’s tables.

What we found by reading the sources themselves:

1. Joining PIPP cuts HEAP by 75% — stated in the HEAP page’s FAQ, not on the PIPP page. And the gas rule says HEAP money does not count toward your monthly PIPP payment.
2. The state’s tables mix years. The PIPP page’s “add $8,995” line matches the 2023 guidelines, not 2026 ($9,940). The Winter Crisis page uses 2026 limits for 1–4 people but 2025 limits for 5–8 people. The 8-person 30-day figure on the PIPP page ($7,786.70) matches neither year’s math exactly (2026 would be $8,014.52).
3. The electric rule still says 150% while the gas rule and the state’s program pages say 175%.
4. Two processing times: “12-week” on the application page, “90 days” on the HEAP page.
5. No phones: the online application must be done on a computer.

What we did not do: we did not call ODJFS, PUCO or any local agency, and we did not test the online portal. We did not check which utilities or municipal and co-op electric systems take part; the program covers PUCO-regulated companies. The administrative rules are under review and may change after November 25, 2026. This guide does not decide any person’s case.

If your agency tells you something different, follow its decision for your case, ask how to appeal, and let us know so we can re-check this guide.

Last updated: October 31, 2026

This is general information, not legal or financial advice.