House
Republican Press Release
August 28,
2008
Press
Office: 860-240-8700
Legislator Offers Assistance in
Accessing New Emergency Programs
More middle class Waterbury
families struggling financially because of unexpected increases in gasoline and
electricity prices and sharp increases in the cost of home heating oil will be
eligible for energy assistance this year, thanks to several emergency energy
assistance measures adopted August 22nd by the state legislature,
state Representative Selim Noujaim said today.
The measures were included in
two bills (Senate Bills 1101 and 1102).
“The winter heating season is
only three months away,” said Representative Noujaim, R-Waterbury. “If this
winter turns out be colder than usual, we will have emergency energy assistance
measures in place to help more families pay their heating bills. The measures
we approved during the recent special legislative session expanded the number
of people who will be eligible for emergency assistance to include more middle
class families.”
Representative Noujaim voted for
one of the bills (S. B. 1101), but opposed the second proposal (S. B. 1102)
because a section allocating up to $35,000,000 for emergency home heating
assistance does not set eligibility criteria; lacks safeguards to ensure the
funds are not misused; fails to set specific timelines for expending the funds;
and does not enable people in need to receive the aid until at least March 2009.
The new energy assistance
measures and how to access them include:
Operation
Fuel
- $8.5 million for Operation
Fuel to provide emergency assistance to households with incomes between
151% and 200% of the federal poverty level ($31,800 to $42,400 for a family
of four).
- $5 million for Operation Fuel
to provide emergency assistance to households with incomes between 200% of
the federal poverty level and 100% of the state median income ($42,400 to
$93,821 for a family of four)
To contact Operation fuel, call 860-243-2345,
or on the web at www.operationfuel.org
Energy
Conservation Loan Program
- $2 million to the Energy
Conservation Loan Program to provide additional loans for the program for efficiency
improvements, alternative energy devices, and replacement furnaces and
boilers. The legislation also sets a 0% interest rate for loans for
natural gas furnaces or boilers that meet or exceed federal Energy Star
standards and propane and oil furnaces and boilers that are at least 84%
efficient, including those eligible for an existing rebate of up to $500.
It increases those eligible for the program from 150% to 200% of the state
median income (up to $187,642 for a family of four)
For more information, call (800)
992-3665, ext. 2019 or 2023 or go to: http://www.chif.org/owner_borrowers/apply.shtml
Heating
assistance for the elderly
- $4 million to provide home
heating assistance to seniors age 65 and older who have incomes at or
below 100% of the state median household income (Currently $48,786.92 for
a one-person household; $63,798.28, two-person household; $78,809.64,
three-person household) and are unable to make timely payments on
deliverable fuel, electricity, or natural gas bills.
The state legislature is
expected to approve the funding plan for the program in October or November.
Contact information will be available after the legislature acts.
In the meantime, contact New
Opportunities Waterbury (Tel: 203 756-8151), the agency that administers the
current program. They already may be taking fuel assistance applications and
will provide additional information and eligibility criteria as it becomes
available.
Furnace
/ Boiler Replacement; Furnace / Boiler Repairs and Upgrades
- $3 million to increase funding
for a rebate program for residential furnace/boiler replacement. The
program provides rebates of up to $500 for people who replace their
residential furnaces or boilers with more efficient ones.
- $2 million for rebates to
eligible state residents who repair or upgrade their existing furnaces and
boilers to improve their efficiency. Rebates are capped at $500 or 50% of
the cost of the repair or upgrade, whichever is less. The new rebate is
available only for residential structures containing up to four dwelling
units.
Call the Furnace Rebate Hotline
at 1 866 940 4676 or go to www.ct.gov/opm/cwp/view.asp?a=2994&q=420476&opmNav_GID=1808
The repair program is not
operational yet but information will be posted at the above link and will be
available on the Furnace Rebate Hotline after the program is established (by
the end of October).
Weatherization
for Low Income Households
- $2 million to the state Department
of Social Services (DSS) to develop a plan for funding weatherization
projects for low-income households who participate in the Connecticut energy assistance program.
The plan will be submitted by
November 1 to several state boards for input and advice. Contact information
will be available when the plan is finalized.
For more information on who is
eligible for state and federal energy assistance programs, please call the
state's 2-1-1 hotline for the location of the nearest agency to apply for the
aid. Residents also can call the state's winter heating aid hotline at
800-842-1132 to learn about current income and asset eligibility limits.
