By Rick Green
THE KEENE SENTINEL
Regional demand for assistance in paying home fuel and electricity bills is up this year amid rising oil and energy costs, according to Beth Daniels, chief executive officer of Southwestern Community Services.
About 4,500 households have sought help from her agency so far, she said Tuesday.
“At this point we have accounted for as many households in the system as we enrolled all of last year,” Daniels said, adding that requests for help typically increase throughout the cold New England winter, which hasn’t even arrived yet.
SCS, which serves Cheshire and Sullivan counties and has offices in Keene and Claremont, is a community action agency that administers a number of assistance programs. Daniels said those who need help should contact the agency, which will assess their eligibility.
The key is to request help, which some people are reluctant to do despite frigid weather, she said.
“The winter is brutal,” Daniels said. “Please, please apply. That’s what it’s there for.”
Pipes can freeze and then burst, so it’s better to seek assistance in the beginning of the season than to repair damage later from frozen pipes.
Her agency also provides weatherization assistance, she said, noting this can be particularly helpful for many older New England houses in need of insulation and new windows, or mobile homes that need upgrades.
Daniels said she is among those who had sticker shock when buying home fuel recently.
“I got about 70 gallons worth of fuel just to top off my tank and then took care of 100 gallons for someone else,” she said. “It came to more than $900. It’s nuts.
“By the time February or March rolls around, it’s going to be tough for people, I think.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015-19 American Community Survey, the most common heating source for New Hampshire homes was fuel oil. Of the 532,000 homes in New Hampshire, 233,000, or 44 percent, used fuel oil as a primary heating source.
Natural gas from utilities was second with 21 percent of homes, followed by propane in 16 percent of homes. Electricity was the primary heating source for 9 percent of homes, while 7 percent primarily used wood.
A year ago, the price per gallon for residential heating oil in New Hampshire was $3.28, compared to $5.81 now, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
A bill the N.H. Legislature approved Sept. 15 expands eligibility for heating assistance, which will be administered through SCS and similar agencies.
Households making 60 to 75 percent of the state median income will be eligible for $450 in heating assistance and $200 in electric aid. For a family of four, 60 percent of the state’s median annual income would be $75,000, and 75 percent would be $93,600.
The new program is still being brought online, but people who need help should contact SCS and the agency will sort out the details, Daniels said. This is intended to supplement existing assistance programs that help households making less than the 60 percent threshold and came in response to rising energy costs.
Southwestern Community Services also offers rental assistance, early childhood education programs, food assistance and help with water bills, among other things. It can be reached at www.scshelps.org, 603-352-7512 (Keene) or 603-542-9528 (Claremont).
Rick Green can be reached at [email protected] or 603-355-8567.
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