‘Keeping Coos Warm’ Begins in Berlin as Councilors Search for More Heating Fuel Help

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

BERLIN – A new effort called “Keeping Coos Warm” is being launched this winter with a goal of keeping neighbors warm this winter with high energy costs.

Ken Gordon, chief executive officer of Coos County Family Health Services, said the idea goes back almost two decades when a similar effort was created to help families impacted by the closing of the mills in the Berlin area.

The organization’s Bridget Laflamme, a medical social worker, came up with the idea after seeing so many people “distraught” about heating costs wondering how they are to make it through the winter without having to sacrifice their medications or food.

“It’s heartbreaking to see,” she said.

Laflamme said she went to Ken Gordon with the idea to bring businesses, individuals, those who issue grants and community leaders together and two weeks ago, held the first meeting with the idea getting “a good reception.

“We are in the early stages of development,” she said with another meeting planned Nov. 10 at their offices at 133 Pleasant St. in Berlin.

Coos County Family Health Services https://coosfamilyhealth.org/about/ offers many health services to residents of Berlin, Colebrook, Gorham and the surrounding areas.

Gordon said it is not just about raising money, it is about finding creative ways to help – from asking local churches to open their fellowship center doors during the day as warming shelters to getting oil and energy services providers to reduce the minimum 100 gallons delivery to smaller amounts to help people pick up perhaps 20 gallons to get them through to the next paycheck.

He said it is also about reaching people who like to knit and donate wool hats and sweaters. Also, the idea of asking retailers to ask customers if they would like to round up their purchase to the next dollar to help the effort out, was discussed at the first meeting and the idea of creating a cord wood bank among others.

The situation is worse than a typical year, they said.

Now the state average cost for fuel oil is $6 a gallon. Last year at this time it was about $3.75.

“Given the math and costs of heating fuel, it won’t take long for some people to run out of their LIHEAP allotment,” said Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield.

He said the Keep Coos Warm initiative is “a movement to create a fuel assistance fund and rules for people who would be eligible.”

It could also be a model for other areas of the state which are also facing the same concerns as the temperatures dip. Shelters in the North Country are limited by distance.

“We do see a lot of homelessness,” said Laflamme, and Gordon added the closest shelter for men and families is in Lancaster and for women the closest shelter is in Franconia, which are often full.

At the meeting, the group identified existing resources, particularly the Tri County Community Action Program which receives and distributes federal money for home heating assistance.

Joseph Sculley, executive director of the Energy Markets Association of New Hampshire, which represents more than 90 home heating fuel dealers said his members are expecting to hear from people as the winter approaches.

He said many people don’t know that the federal LIHEAP or Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program allows for a family of four to make up to $93,000 a year and still be eligible for LIHEAP funding.

The LIHEAP program is distributed through the five CAP agencies across the state  https://www.capnh.org/ and last year received about $30 million. The CAP agencies collect income and heating information to calculate an award which goes directly to the fuel provider.

Kenney told Gov. Kelly Ayotte and fellow councilors at a meeting in Pelham last week that he does not believe that the federal LIHEAP funds have increased commensurate with the added costs.

He told the gathering in Coos County that the state had $30 million sent last year. About $6 million is left over from that and about $31 million is expected for this winter. Funds typically become available to people on Dec. 1, Kenney said.

Sculley said it is his understanding that congress has released the funds and they could arrive about three weeks earlier than last year and that may be of some help.

Kenney and other councilors said they are worried about what could happen if the LIHEAP funds are drained early, what that might mean in February and March.

Municipalities also offer emergency funds to their residents and they may see higher demand this winter because of the costs of fuel. Catholic Charities and other church-based programs are also gearing up and expect a hard winter for many because of spiked home heating costs which are impacted by global actions.

Sculley said no one heating source is low priced this year and there is “not an escape.” Even those who have transferred to mini splits will see high electric bills, he said.

“Fuel is higher because it costs the dealer more because of global events,” he stressed.

Laflamme said the next steps are to secure an independent fiscal sponsor for Keep Coos Warm who would make the referrals, handle and distribute the grant funds collected. At the meeting, many said their organizations’ 2026 charitable funds have been exhausted but January would be a better time to ask for help.

Executive Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester, said he is directing folks to their Community Action Agencies where they have a customer care person that will direct people through the process to get to the right resources.
 
“I also have been in contact with Eversource and spoke with them about concerns related to payments if someone cannot afford and they gave me a contact person as well that I can share with constituents that are having a hard time affording the bill,” he said.

Sculley also said his fuel dealers statewide offer budget plans to stretch out payments over a year instead of just during the winter months and those may be popular this year.

Stephen said, “I plan to monitor this situation closely related to the requests made to the Community Action Agencies and Dept. of Energy and will work with the Governor and other councilors to make sure the Department of Energy does not have a wait list for low-income heating assistance.  If we are approaching a wait list I have asked the Commissioner and his team to notify us immediately and work collaboratively with the Governor and Dept. of HHS, along with Community Action Agencies to address.”

Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, who represents the Upper Valley and Concord area and north as far north as the Littleton area said, “I’m very concerned about what this heating season will mean for New Hampshire families. Between property taxes, electricity, groceries, healthcare, and housing costs, Granite Staters are under major financial stress. Rising heating costs will push many families into crisis.

“I’ve been reaching out to Community Action Agencies across the state to better understand anticipated needs and available resources.

“The federal government plays an important role, particularly through LIHEAP funding, but New Hampshire has a responsibility to act as well. We have responded to heating emergencies in the past, and we should have a contingency plan ready now. We shouldn’t wait until families are running out of fuel in the middle of winter to figure out what to do.

“That means assessing anticipated demand, identifying available state resources, and being prepared to provide emergency assistance if federal funding falls short or fuel prices spike. The CAP agencies have told me that as folks are turning to wood for heat, wood suppliers are going through their inventories more quickly and already experiencing shortages,” Liot Hill said.

Liot Hill concluded her email to InDepthNH.org by writing “nobody in New Hampshire should have to choose between heating their home, buying groceries, or filling a prescription. People will go to bed cold this winter. People – including children – will go to bed hungry this winter. The state needs to be proactive, not reactive, and work with all of our partners, at the local, county, state, and federal levels to meet the basic needs of our residents.”

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