Albany, NY – New York State is distributing approximately $1 billion in energy rebate payments to 8.2 million households, including eligible Rockland County residents, under a program intended to offset rising household utility costs. Payments of $100, $150 or $200 began mailing on September 21, 2026, and are scheduled to continue through December.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the distribution of the payments as part of the state’s 2026–2027 budget, which established the Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate program, commonly referred to as POWER.
The program provides a one-time payment to eligible New York taxpayers based on their 2024 state income tax returns. Residents do not need to complete an application or submit a separate request to receive the rebate.
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is responsible for determining eligibility and distributing the checks.
The amount each taxpayer receives depends on filing status and New York adjusted gross income reported for the 2024 tax year.
Individuals who filed as single, head of household or married filing separately qualify for a $100 payment if their income was $150,000 or less.
Married couples filing jointly, along with qualifying surviving spouses, are eligible for $200 if their income was $150,000 or less.
Joint filers and qualifying surviving spouses with incomes exceeding $150,000 but not exceeding $300,000 qualify for a $150 payment.
Taxpayers whose income exceeds the applicable limits are not eligible for the rebate.
To qualify, residents must have filed a New York State resident income tax return, Form IT-201, for 2024 within the required filing deadline.
The standard filing deadline was April 15, 2025. Taxpayers who obtained a valid extension and filed by October 15, 2025, may also qualify.
Recipients must have been full-year New York State residents during 2024 and cannot have been claimed as dependents on another taxpayer’s return.
Eligibility does not depend on whether residents currently own or rent their homes. The state also does not require applicants to provide utility bills or document individual electricity, natural gas or heating expenses.
For Rockland County households, the rebate applies under the same income and filing requirements used throughout New York State.
Residents of Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo and Stony Point may qualify, along with eligible taxpayers living in the county’s villages and hamlets.
The state has not announced a separate rebate amount for Rockland County or published a confirmed county-specific distribution total.
Checks are being mailed directly to qualifying taxpayers at the most recent mailing address maintained by the Department of Taxation and Finance.
Residents who have moved since filing their 2024 returns should verify that their address is current. The state generally uses the address listed on the most recently filed tax return, although taxpayers can update their information through the department’s online services.
Unlike certain tax refunds, POWER rebates are not issued through direct deposit. All payments are being distributed by mail.
The state has also indicated that checks are not being distributed according to ZIP code or geographic region. As a result, two eligible households in the same neighborhood may receive their payments several weeks apart.
Tax department representatives cannot provide individual delivery dates or check-status estimates.
The rebates are separate from the inflation refund checks distributed during 2025, which provided qualifying taxpayers with payments of up to $400.
The POWER program was established specifically to provide additional financial assistance in response to higher energy expenses.
According to the Hochul administration, New York has provided approximately $7.6 billion in direct utility-bill assistance to participating households since 2021, including the current rebate program.
The state has also identified approximately $1.4 billion in support for weatherization, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects intended to reduce energy consumption and related household costs.
The 2026–2027 budget includes additional utility oversight measures addressing proposed rate increases, company expenditures and consumer affordability.
These measures include expanded review of certain utility expenses and the establishment of a commission to examine factors contributing to higher energy costs.
The immediate POWER payments, however, are one-time rebates rather than permanent reductions in utility rates or monthly bills.
Eligible residents who have not yet received their checks should continue monitoring their mail through December.
Additional eligibility details, income thresholds and address-update instructions are available through the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance at https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/energy-rebate-check.htm.