Numerical studies on the interaction of electrostatic hydrogen cyclotron (EHC) waves with light ionospheric ions, such as He+, show that when the wave number ratio k⊥/k∥≤10 resonant effects are important in the stochastic heating of the ions. When k⊥/k∥>10 an appreciable acceleration occurs even though the cyclotron-resonant effects are absent. As the parallel wave number increases, causing k⊥/k∥ to decrease (<10), the number of accelerated ions and the perpendicular and parallel energization increase.