Governor Chris Sununu, Legislative Leaders, Department of Energy Announce NH Emergency Energy Relief Programs

Concord, NH – This morning, Governor Chris Sununu, Legislative leaders, and the New Hampshire Department of Energy announced the NH Emergency Energy Relief Programs to provide New Hampshire powered relief to ratepayers amid skyrocketing energy prices nationwide.

The initiatives announced today include:

• A $7.5 Million allocation to provide low-income families with assistance to help cool their homes this summer by directing a benefit directly to their electric utility.

  The allocation will benefit the 24,000 currently enrolled households in the LIHEAP Program. Those who have received LIHEAP winter funds will automatically qualify for these new funds this summer.

• $7 Million from state surplus funds to shore up the Electric Assistance Program, which is currently funded through the systems benefits charge.

  The Electric Assistance program provides bill assistance to those making less than 60% of the median household income, on a tiered scale that provides discounts ranging from 76% to 8% off their bill. Due to the increase in electricity costs this summer, those discounts will cost more money, thus depleting the fund.

  With an influx of $7 million from our state's surplus, we anticipate the program will be able to continue to provide assistance to the same families with the 50% bill increase.

• A $60 Million fund, which will provide a bill credit to the roughly 600,000 residential electric ratepayers across the state.

  A $100 credit on nearly every residential electric bill in New Hampshire.

Video of remarks by Governor Sununu, Senate President Chuck Morse, and Speaker of the House Sherm Packard can be viewedhere.

NOTE: A copy of the slides from today's press conference can be found here.