$450 Energy Relief Checks Heading to Your Mailbox

Governor Janet Mills announced that the first round of $450 winter energy relief payments are being mailed to eligible Maine taxpayers today, Jan. 30. The $450 Winter Relief Payments are part of Governor Mills’ Emergency Energy Relief Plan to help keep Maine people warm, safe, and secure this winter amid near record high energy costs.

Maine Revenue Services, a division of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), is mailing the first 5,000 relief checks today via the U.S. Postal Service. The payments are expected to arrive in mailboxes later this week. Maine Revenue Services will issue an estimated 200,000 checks per week beginning next week, with the vast majority of qualifying Maine people expected to receive their payment by the end of March.

Governor Janet Mills says, High energy prices have made staying warm more difficult for Maine families this winter. That’s why I proposed—and was pleased to sign—an emergency relief measure that quickly puts money back into the hands of Maine people. Beginning next week, Maine people will start to receive their $450 relief payment to help ease the burden of increased energy costs. I thank the Legislature for approving this emergency measure and look forward to working with lawmakers to implement policies that will bring down energy costs and improve energy efficiency in the long-term.

There is nothing that you need to do to claim their $450 payment. Eligible recipients are those who:

Filed their 2021 Maine individual income tax return as a full-time resident of the State for tax year 2021, by October 31, 2022, are not claimed as a dependent on another’s return, and have a Federal adjusted gross income (FAGI) of less than:

• $100,000 if filing single or if married and filing separately;
• $150,000 if filing as head of household; or
• $200,000 for couples filing jointly.

The Mills Administration has also posted a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at Maine.gov/energyrelief to help answer any questions about the energy relief payments.