Eligible New Yorkers still waiting for an energy rebate check could receive it later this fall as the state continues mailing payments of up to $200 through December.
The Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate, known as POWER, is a one-time payment included in the 2026-27 state budget. The state Assembly’s announcement establishing the program said it would distribute $1 billion to approximately 8.2 million New Yorkers.
Payments depend on filing status and 2024 New York adjusted gross income:
- Single filers, heads of household and married people filing separately qualify for $100 if their income was $150,000 or less.
- Married couples filing jointly and qualifying surviving spouses receive $200 with income of $150,000 or less.
- Joint filers and qualifying surviving spouses with income above $150,000 but no more than $300,000 receive $150.
According to the state Department of Taxation and Finance’s eligibility guidance, recipients must have timely filed a full-year resident income tax return for 2024 and cannot have been claimed as someone else’s dependent. Returns filed under a valid extension qualify.
No application or copies of utility bills are required.
Checks arrive by mail, including for people who received their tax refunds through direct deposit. The department uses the most recent address it has on file.
Mailings are not organized by ZIP code or region, so neighbors may receive checks at different times. The department says its contact center cannot provide individual payment status or a specific delivery date.
The POWER payments are separate from the inflation refund checks generally mailed in fall 2025. The governor’s energy affordability announcement established a September-through-December mailing window for the new rebates.
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