NH Governor's Office of Energy & Community Services - NH Fuel Assistance Program

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NH Fuel Assistance Program
Highlights

Program Year 2000-2001

In response to high home heating oil prices and low temperatures, Governor Jeanne Shaheen asked for and received from the federal government additional emergency fuel assistance funds for New Hampshire. The total amount of additional funds released to assist New Hampshire families was $6,863,842.

With these additional Fuel Assistance funds, the Governor's Office of Energy and Community Services and NH's Community Action Agencies were able to accomplish the following:

NH's Fuel Assistance Program assisted 27,276 low-income households, an increase of 18% from the previous year. The assistance helped these families avoid taking extreme and possibly dangerous measures to stay warm this past winter.
The Community Action Agencies responded to 3,841 emergency cases, an increase of 18% from the 1999-2000 heating season, allowing families with young children and elderly and disabled residents in "no-heat" crises to reside safely in their homes with heat.
The program's income eligibility criteria remained at the maximum limit permitted by federal regulations. Without this assistance, many of the working poor could have dropped deeper into poverty.
The fuel assistance benefit was increased to a maximum level of $1200. The average benefit was $594.
ECS opened the program one month early, on October 30, 2000, to encourage applicants to apply early in the heating season and plan for the winter's energy expenses.

Weatherization Assistance Program / Fuel Assistance Program