Need A Free Air Conditioner? New York State Has Got You Covered

Contrary to popular belief, and even though we are coming out of a really weird winter that broke all sorts of records, it gets pretty warm in New York State during the summer.

A majority of New York State sits in the humid continental zone of the US, while New York City and Long Island are situated in the humid subtropical zone, which often leads New York's climate to have very warm and humid summers with a mean temperature that often sits in the high 80s to low 90s. It's even warmer in the urban areas of the state that often that tend to be a tad bit hotter due to the Urban Heat Island effect that often occurs.

Because of this, often New Yorkers find themselves having to find ways to beat the heat and not spend too much money on their utilities when trying to stay cool. To help combat the dangers of being too warm in the summer, New York offers financial support for cooling just as it does in the winter with heating help.

What Does New York Do To Help People Stay Cool?

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) offers to help low and moderate-income people pay for their energy costs. While HEAP is mostly associated with winter heating costs, it can also be used to help with cooling costs.

If your home gets too warm in the summer, you may be eligible for a free air conditioner or to have your home cooling system repaired if it needs maintenance.

How Can I Get A Free Air Conditioner From New York?

According to the HEAP Cooling Assistance Guidelines, you can get a benefit of up to $1,000 for an air conditioner.

You can apply for cooling assistance to buy and install an air conditioner or a fan for your home. Your household is allowed one or the other, and the price cannot be more than $800 with installation for a portable air conditioner, or fan, and not to exceed $1,000 for an existing wall sleeve unit. Like HEAP funding, cooling assistance funds are limited and are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.
-New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

To qualify, you need to meet income and residency requirements, and purchase your equipment from or have it provided by an approved vendor.

The HEAP Cooling Assistance program opens for applications on Monday, May 1, 2023, and you can apply online or at your local HEAP office.