Hilltown Families 
Joe for Oil Program: Helping MA Families in Need to Heat Their Homes
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Update for Winter 2011-12
Citizens Energy Oil Heat Program for the 2011-2012 season has begun. Please note that they are experiencing an extremely high volume of calls. Call center hours are Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM Eastern Standard Time.
Joe for Oil: Winter 2010
The Citizen’s Energy Heating Program aka Joe for Oil will be accepting applications after January 12, 2010. Applications will be available on their web site, www.citizensenergy.com, or via the telephone –please dial 877-563-4645.
Massachusetts households that heat with either oil or propane are eligible for 100 gallons.
Once Citizen’s Energy processes the application, the household will be notified by mail with a voucher. (Last year there was a 3 week time frame in processing applications.) The voucher includes the contact information of participating vendors. Last year the voucher was valid for 15 days.
Please note the voucher is for a 1 time delivery, max. 100 gallons. The household will need to plan when they would best benefit from a delivery. Many fuel vendors require a minimum delivery. For example if your fuel vendor has a minimum fuel delivery of 150 gallons, the household would use the Joe for Oil voucher for the first 100 gallons and pay the vendor directly for the additional 50 gallons.
The program will remain open until funding is exhausted. Additional details will be posted on the web site after January 12, 2010.
Should you have any general questions about this program or are seeking strategies to maximize your income, please contact the Housing Consumer Education Center at 413-863-9781, ext.150 or 151.
The Citizens Energy/Distrigas Heat Assistance Program was created for people who are struggling to pay their natural gas heating bills in Massachusetts. The program is open to those who low income families that have exhausted their federal fuel assistance benefit or to individuals ineligible to receive federal fuel assistance but cannot afford to pay their heating bills.
Fuel Assistance Resources and Information (Source: Citizens Energy)
- American Association of Retired Persons www.aarp.org
- American Gas Association www.aga.com
- American Red Cross www.redcross.org
- Campaign for Home Energy Assistance www.liheap.org
- CITGO www.citgo.com
- Federal LIHEAP Program www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/
- Massachusetts Oilheat Council www.massoilheat.org
- National Association for State Community Services Programs www.nascsp.org
- National Association of State Energy Officials www.naseo.org
- National Center for Appropriate Technology www.ncat.org
- National Energy Assistance Directors Association www.neada.org
- U.S. Department of Energy www.energy.gov
Update: Fall 2012 (Source: http://www.communityaction.us)
Home Energy Assistance
Community Action’s Energy Programs are committed to helping community members with low income in Franklin and Hampshire Counties cover their energy costs. Our programs work to reduce energy consumption, improve heating systems, and help pay a portion of fuel and utility bills.
Our largest program, Fuel Assistance, helps our neighbors with low incomes pay a portion of their home heating costs. The program is available to both homeowners and renters, and covers the primary source of heat. Program eligibility and payment amounts are determined by family size and gross annual household income. Payments are not intended to cover the entire cost of annual home heating, but can alleviate some of the financial burden.
Fuel Assistance participants are also eligible to receive discounts on their home phone and electric bills and may choose to enroll in our Heating System Repair Program, Weatherization Program, or Electric Efficiency Program.
For more information, please call Community Action Energy Programs at: 413-774-2310 or 800-370-0940
Community Action Energy Programs, 393 Main Street, Greenfield, MA
Here’s another resource to look into:
Community Action Fuel Assistance: Each winter, Community Action helps warm hundreds of Franklin and Hampshire County families. Available to both homeowners and renters, the Fuel Assistance Program helps income-eligible participants afford their home heating expenses. Program eligibility is determined by family size and gross annual household income. http://www.communityaction.us/fuel-assistance.html
Here’s contact info for 2011:
Citizens Energy Corporation
88 Black Falcon Avenue, Suite 342
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
Main Number: (617) 338-6300
Fax Number: (617) 542-4487
Email Address: inform@citizensenergy.com