Assistance for High Heating Bills
Andrew J Lanza
January 16, 2013
There are several programs that will provide assistance to people with high heating bills during the winter season and the replacement of gas equipment that might have been damaged during Hurricane Sandy.
HEAP is a federally funded program that issues heating benefits to supplement a household’s annual energy costs. HEAP also offers an emergency benefit for households in a heat-related energy emergency. My district office, which is located at 3845 Richmond Avenue, Suite 2A, will serve as an intake office for the HEAP program. I will have a representative in my office on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm. The representative will be available to assist you in the completion and processing of your application.
The Neighborhood Heating Fund was founded by KeySpan, now National Grid, to help low-income families and individuals with elevated heating bills meet their monthly payments. The Neighborhood Heating Fund is a one-time annual grant. You can receive up to $200 depending on the amount of your bill. The grants will be given on a first come, first serve basis.
National Grid has graciously decided to offer funding for gas inspection and repair of gas equipment to those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. To qualify for National Grid’s Recovery Assistance, you must have been approved for the 2011-2012 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). In addition, National Grid should have inspected your residence and you received a Blue Tag; the Blue Tag means that repair or replacement of gas equipment is necessary.
If you are interested in receiving an application for any of these programs or require further information, please contact Justine Dmytrow at (718) 984-4073.