How this year’s federal budget turns out could mean the difference between a family keeping warm in their own home this winter or seeking shelter someplace else. Energy prices had already hit record highs before hurricanes Katrina and Rita slammed the Gulf Coast, disrupting oil-drilling operations in the area and causing prices to further skyrocket. 

Those who offer low-income energy assistance programs are particularly anxious this year, and state officials are asking the federal government to make sure there’s more money available to help low-income families survive the season.

In New Hampshire last year, state fuel assistance programs received almost 36,000 applications, a little more than 30,000 of which were approved. The average grant amount was $573. The state received more than $18.2 million in funding from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program last year. This year, state officials estimate the average benefit will need to increase to about $940 for a family to afford enough oil for the season. The state Office of Energy and Planning estimates that a minimum of $33 million will be needed to cover heating assistance programs this year, almost double last year’s amount. That accounts for the rise in oil prices and a slight increase in demand; if demand is far higher than last year, that $33 million may not be enough.

Heating oil is currently priced at about $2.62 per gallon in the state, according to the Office of Energy and Planning’s Web site. It was at $1.74 per gallon at this time last year.

County community action agencies, which handle the applications and determine if households are eligible, have reported receiving about 14,000 applications as of the end of last week, a little more than a third of last year’s total. Celeste Lovett, fuel assistance program manager for the office of Energy and Planning, said “It’s too early to tell if that’s a trend.”

The program opened to the general public on Sept. 1 this year, a month earlier than usual, in order to accommodate high demand, Lovett said. The number of applications may even out as time goes by, though Lovett recommends anyone who thinks they may need fuel assistance to apply early.
Eligibility for the program is determined by gross income, the number of people in the household and vulnerability to heating costs. Though fuel prices have increased, the income guidelines for the program have not changed, Lovett said.

Gov. John Lynch has asked New Hampshire’s congressional delegation to secure more money for the state. The amount of funding won’t be known until the 2006 federal budget is passed, sometime within the next month. Lovett said she expects the state to receive at least $14.7 million, the base Home Energy Assistance grant awarded last year, adding that additional funding is uncertain. Some state Democratic legislators are calling for the state to use money from the state’s $82 million surplus to cover heating assistance costs.

Nancy Cushman, director of the fuel assistance program for Rockingham County, said her office had received 1,607 applications as of Sept. 30. That office has been taking applications from “high risk” groups, such as the elderly and families with children under six years of age, since July. Joyce Kimball, fuel assistance program director for Strafford County Community Action, said her office has received 1,600 applications so far.

Cushman expects this year’s average grant amount to be in line with amounts dispersed last year; however, she expects recipients to be awarded multiple grants. “It’s running pretty consistent right now. It may increase a little because heating grants are based on … income and heating costs, and heating costs were high last year,” she said.

If the state manages to secure more federal funding this year, Cushman said the most likely scenario is that some people will receive supplemental grants, in addition to the base grant of approximately $570. Typically, the money is sent out around December to pay for heating bills.

The number of households receiving fuel assistance each winter has steadily increased during the last four years. The largest spike in recipients occurred in 2003, when 27,131 households received grants, compared to 24,876 in 2002. Approximately 28,000 homes received funds in 2004.

However, the base amount of federal funds the state has received has not kept pace with the combination of increased demand and rising energy costs. In 2002, the base grant was $13.2 million; in 2005, it was $14.7 million. From 2003 to 2005, the federal government released millions in contingency funds to meet the increased need.

where to get help
For more information on New Hampshire’s fuel assistance program, visit the Office of Energy and Planning’s Web site, www.nh.gov/oep, or call Celeste Lovett at 603-271-8317.

Seacoast residents can find out if they’re eligible for assistance by calling the region’s two community action agencies.

Strafford Community Action offices are located in Dover (603-749-1334) and Rochester (603-332-3963).

Rockingham Community Action has an office in Portsmouth (603-436-3896).

Maine residents can contact York County Community Action Corporation at (207-439-2699).