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Utilities and phone
Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) (LIHEAP) in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) helps pay winter heating bills for homeowners and renters, paid to your heating vendor.
It is run by the New Hampshire Department of Energy through five Community Action agencies, which take applications; for 2026–27 the program is expected to open for payments Dec. 1, 2026, with applications due by April 30, 2027. The same agencies take applications for the Electric Assistance Program, which helps with electric bills all year.
How to apply in New Hampshire
- In person
- Apply through the Community Action agency that serves your town. The New Hampshire Community Action Partnership lists the five agencies and has an agency lookup on its website.
- Who runs it
- New Hampshire Department of Energy, Fuel Assistance Program
Who may qualify in New Hampshire
| Income limit, one person (start of the 2025–26 program year, as posted by a local agency; 2026–27 limits not confirmed) | $4,059 a month ($48,713 a year) for one person Source: Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties (source 4) |
|---|---|
| Income limit, two people (start of the 2025–26 program year, as posted by a local agency) | $5,309 a month ($63,702 a year) for two people Source: Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties (source 4) |
| Income basis (FY 2026) | 60% of state median income Source: LIHEAP Clearinghouse (source 2) |
What you may get
| Help with running out of fuel | Local agencies offer case management to help you plan and avoid energy emergencies such as running out of heating fuel |
|---|
Source: Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties (source 4)
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| 2026–27 season (per a local agency) | Applications accepted until April 30, 2027. Bills can't be paid until the program officially opens, generally Dec. 1, 2026. |
|---|---|
| Early applications for older adults (per a local agency) | For 2026–27, pre-applications opened after July 1 for elderly and disabled people and families with children under 6, and after Sept. 1 for everyone else |
| Funding for 2026–27 | A local agency's 2026–27 cover letter says federal funding may not be known for months, and eligibility letters won't go out until New Hampshire is told what funds are available |
Source: Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties (source 5)
How New Hampshire is different
Where New Hampshire's rules differ from the federal rules for LIHEAP heating and cooling help.
- Older adults, people with disabilities and families with young children can pre-apply about two months before everyone else.
- The Electric Assistance Program, applied for on the same form, takes applications all year for non-heating electric bills.
Source: Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties (source 4)
Good to know
- Past recipients get an early-registration application in the mail; send it back with your documents before April 30, 2027.
- If your heat is included in subsidized rent, Fuel Assistance isn't available, but you may qualify for Electric Assistance.
Source: Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties (source 5)
Free help
Free help with this in New Hampshire
Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services (BEAS)
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in New Hampshire
Help with heating and cooling bills in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
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- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
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- New Jersey
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- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- U.S. Administration for Children and Families, LIHEAP Map State and Territory Contact Listing (updated Sept. 1, 2026) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- LIHEAP Clearinghouse, LIHEAP Income Eligibility for States and Territories (FY 2026). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- New Hampshire Community Action Partnership, New Hampshire Community Action Partnership. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties, Fuel Assistance (FAP). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Community Action Partnership Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties, Fuel Assistance Program 2026–2027 cover letter and application. Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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