As temperatures drop in New Hampshire, heating assistance programs are gearing up for the winter. Despite the federal government shutdown, state officials say New Hampshire’s program is operating as usual.
New Hampshire gets tens of millions of dollars in federal money for heating assistance on a yearly basis. Last year, the state received more than $32 million, which provided assistance to about 28,000 households. Heating assistance awards were about $1,000 per household, on average.
State officials say they generally get notified about their federal funding allocation by December 1. But until federal lawmakers pass a spending bill, it’s unclear when states may receive their grants.
Program administrators in other New England states, including Massachusetts and Maine, have expressed concern about the shutdown delaying funding and leaving residents without resources to stay warm this season.
But in New Hampshire, the programs are operating normally, according to Chris Ellms, deputy director of the New Hampshire Department of Energy.
“Households in need of assistance should reach out to their local Community Action Agency to learn more about applying,” he said. “As the shutdown continues, our team is monitoring the situation and working closely with the governor’s office.”
Ellms did not respond to specific questions about how much money the state has left over from last year’s grant or when they expect to receive additional funding.
The state’s community action agencies, which administer heating assistance programs, are currently accepting applications. The programs can help with emergency fuel deliveries or shut-off delays, in addition to assisting with the cost of heating fuel.
Terra Rogers, director of energy services programs at Southwestern Community Services, which covers the Monadnock region, said the biggest challenge this year has been unrelated to the shutdown. New Hampshire put a new software system in place, and a delay in the rollout has put agencies behind in processing applications.
“We are asking the public to please minimize phone calls to the CAP offices asking about the status of their applications so staff can concentrate on processing as quickly as possible,” she said in an email.
Heating assistance officially opens December 1.
