GOOD NEIGHBOR ENERGY FUND OPEN TO ALL ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS FACING HARDSHIPS
Category: Uncategorized | Posted On: January 20, 2021
Belmont Light announces that the Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund (GNEF) is now open to all eligible Belmont households seeking assistance with electricity bills this winter. The Fund helps families and individuals impacted by a temporary crisis, like COVID-19, who don’t qualify for federal or state assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The Good Neighbor Energy Fund’s 36th annual “Give the Gift of Warmth” campaign’s goal is to raise $500,000 and assist more than 1,500 households.
“Families are experiencing a heightened urgency of need for assistance with the payment of their home heating bills due to a combination of colder temperatures and financial difficulties exacerbated by the coronavirus,” said Debbie Housley-Bottiglio, Belmont Light Senior Customer Service Representative and GNEF Committee Member. “With this in mind, we ask all Belmont households in temporary crisis to visit the Fund’s website at www.magoodneighbor.org to determine if they qualify for assistance.” Housley-Bottiglio added that the Fund has raised more than $22.5 million and assisted over 91,250 households in need with the payment of monthly energy expenses since its inception in 1985.
The Fund is often the last resort for families who do not qualify for federal and state assistance programs through LIHEAP. The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division, which administers the Fund for the sponsoring energy companies, pays the energy provider directly for households whose gross income falls between 60 and 80 percent of the state’s median income levels. For example, a household size of 4 would need to have a total gross yearly income of between $75,202 and $100,268 to qualify. This campaign year’s Fund disbursement is $300 per eligible household per heating season.
To apply to the Fund for assistance, visit your local Salvation Army Corps Community Center – Service Extension Unit, visit the GNEF website, or call 800-334-3047.
Belmont Light customers who wish to support the Fund can “Give the Gift of Warmth” by using the green-colored Good Neighbor Energy Fund donation envelope found as an insert in January electric bills. Customers can also donate on-line by visiting www.magoodneighbor.org or simply mail a check payable to “Good Neighbor Energy Fund” and send it to the Good Neighbor Energy Fund, c/o The Salvation Army, 25 Shawmut Road, Canton, Massachusetts 02021-1408.