Congress antes up on home heating-CONCORD MONITOR
Move follows state's increase to fuel aid

By SARAH LIEBOWITZ Monitor staff    
September 26, 2008 - 12:00 am

Things are looking up this week for New Hampshire's fuel assistance program for low-income residents.
 
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives approved $5.1 billion in federal spending for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP. According to Democratic Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire would get at least $34 million of the $5.1 billion the House passed.
 
The measure now goes to the U.S. Senate, which is scheduled to take up the proposal within the next few days, said Amy Ignatius, director of the state's Office of Energy and Planning. 'The $5.1 billion level would be phenomenal,' Ignatius said, although she cautioned that the Senate still needs to act on the plan.
 
New Hampshire officials had been expecting about $27.5 million in federal funding for LIHEAP this year, an increase of $2 million over last year. If the U.S. Senate approves the House-backed measure, New Hampshire could receive far more LIHEAP money than expected.
 
'If $5.1 billion actually does go through the Senate, I think we're in a very good position to see $34 million plus some amount of contingency funds to get us above that,' Ignatius said. 'It could get it up to $45 million' with the contingency funds, she said.
 
The House vote came on the same day that New Hampshire lawmakers overwhelmingly decided to spend $10 million in state money on fuel assistance. The federal allotment that state officials were expecting - $27.5 million - wasn't going to suffice, given the dramatic increase in home heating costs over the past year, New Hampshire officials said.
 
The state would need $37.5 million just to provide the same level of LIHEAP assistance as last year, according to state officials. The $10 million in state money would supplement the federal allocation; state lawmakers wanted to make sure that there would be enough money to serve those New Hampshire residents who qualify.
 
If New Hampshire receives more than $27.5 million in federal LIHEAP money, the state would get a refund on part or all of its $10 million.
 
New Hampshire's representatives in Washington - Democratic Reps. Paul Hodes and Shea-Porter and Republican Sens. John Sununu and Judd Gregg - have all pushed for more federal money to support LIHEAP in New Hampshire. 'Thousands of New Hampshire families will now be able to heat their homes this winter,' Shea-Porter said in a statement following the House passage of the LIHEAP appropriation.
 
Earlier this month, the federal government announced that New Hampshire would receive $3.19 million in so-called LIHEAP contingency funds. That money came from last year's federal LIHEAP budget, and the allocation was set to expire this month unless the Bush administration released the funds.
 
Any money would be welcomed by state officials, who have worried about the rising cost of heating homes and a potential increase in the number of people needing fuel assistance.
 
Last winter, LIHEAP aided 35,351 New Hampshire households, with an average household benefit of $629, or about 189 gallons of fuel, according to state statistics. An average household uses about 800 gallons of fuel annually.
 
Applicants to the LIHEAP program must meet income guidelines: Officials first dole out money to those whose income is 185 percent or less of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For a family of four, that means an annual income of up to $38,203. If there's money left over, officials will offer the benefit to residents earning up to 60 percent of the state's median income. For a family of four, that would mean $48,435.

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