Check out our guide for staying safe in extremely hot weather.
Rebates for a new air conditioner
The most widely available resource for Granite Staters is a rebate for an air conditioner through NHSaves, a program jointly run by New Hampshire utility companies Eversource, Liberty Utilities, Unitil, and New Hampshire Electric Cooperative.
Who qualifies?
Anyone who is a residential electric customer of one of these participating New Hampshire utility companies can benefit from these NHSaves rebates.
What do you get?
$50 rebate per unit for anyone who turns in an old air conditioning unit or dehumidifier at an official NHSaves turn-in event held in different locations around the state throughout the summer. There is a limit of two room ACs and two dehumidifiers per resident.
If you don’t have a unit to recycle, NHSaves offers a $20 rebate for anyone purchasing a new ENERGY STAR certified unit, with a limit on two room air-conditioner rebates per year.
Call the rebate processor at 888-855-0285 or visit the NHSaves website.
Rebates for new central air or heat pumps
Who qualifies?
NHSaves also offers anyone who is a residential electric consumer with a participating utility company a rebate when purchasing and installing a new central air conditioning or heat pump unit, as long as it matches energy efficiency requirements listed by utility companies.
What do you get?
You can receive $70 per ton for central air conditioning, $250 per ton for air-source heat pump installation, and $2,000 for air-source heat pumps that specifically replace electric resistance heating systems.
According to the Office of the Consumer Advocate, the NHSaves program is funded in part by customers of electric and natural gas public utilities in the state.
Income-based energy bill assistance
You can find income-based assistance for energy bills (as well as housing and food) at your local Community Action Agency.
Who qualifies?
New Hampshire provides energy assistance to low-income Granite Staters through the Electric Assistant Program (EAP), which helps eligible customers with discounts on monthly electric bills ranging from 5% to 86% depending on household size and income.
How to enroll:
Find out if you qualify, and apply, by contacting your local Community Action Agency.
- Download an application from the agency website or have it mailed to your household.
- The application requires a copy of your utility bill, and evidence of income, such as pay stubs, taxes, or social security benefit letters. If you have no income, you may need to fill out a no-to-low income form.
- If you qualify, you’ll get a discount on electric bills directly from the utility company for a period of 12 or 24 months, which can be renewed.
- Income is one of the main factors determining discount size, which can range from 5% to 86%.
This program is funded through the “systems benefits charge” portion of all electric utility customers’ electric bills.
According to the New Hampshire Department of Energy website, the program “helps make bills more affordable and helps customers avoid the risk of having their electric service shut off” if bills are left unpaid.
As of early June, over 30,000 households were enrolled in the Electric Assistance Program statewide.
Air conditioners for seniors on the Seacoast
Rockingham county residents may qualify for financial support in purchasing new air conditioners, through Project CoolAir, run by the nonprofit Area HomeCare & Family Services. Project CoolAir has been purchasing and providing room air conditioning units for qualified residents of Rockingham County for over 25 years.
Who qualifies?
MaryJane Walsh, the program director of Area HomeCare, said that qualifying individuals must be low-income, medically-fragile, and aged 60 and up.
“The program was designed to provide a room of relief,” Walsh said. “It’s not just a luxury, it’s a necessity.”
Walsh said that in really busy summers, the organization distributes between 70 to 90 room air conditioning units.
Qualification is based on “income, medical condition, and the absence of air conditioning,” according to the program’s website.
How it works:
Those interested in participating should contact Walsh via email or phone to discuss the “simple” referral process.
“If somebody is under 60 and has a medical need for an air conditioner, we absolutely will provide them with one,” Walsh said. If someone is under 60, they must provide a note from their primary care doctor stating the medical need for AC in their home. This is not necessary for participants over 60.
The program relies solely on donations from the community, said Walsh.
Rebates for Monadnock Region residents
Residents of the Monadnock region may qualify for a privately-funded rebate program that supports home electrification and energy-efficiency projects.
The Monadnock Sustainability Hub launched their Electrify Monadnock Fund this summer to help low and middle-income homes in the Monadnock region. (Not sure if you’re in the region? Check the map on the Monadnock Sustainability Hub website).
How it works:
The program supports heat pump installation, which can both heat and cool homes, as well as installing solar panels, replacing fossil fuel appliances with electric appliances, and even purchasing electric vehicles.
“Heat pumps are actually somewhat of a misnomer because they actually both heat and cool,” said Dori Drachman, co-chair of the board of the Monadnock Sustainability Hub. “You’re getting a heating system, but you’re also getting an air conditioner.”
What you get:
Eligible residents can receive up to $7,000 in rebates for upcoming projects. To apply for funds, residents must first meet with an Energy Coach from the program to discuss electrification projects.
Dori Drachman, co-chair of the board of the Monadnock Sustainability Hub, said the coaching program connects people who want to make energy upgrades with others in the region who have already done so, and helps find additional sources of funding for these energy projects.
“And you can therefore stretch what we can offer further,” Drachman said.
The Electrify Monadnock Fund is completely private, based on donations and grant funding.
Additional energy bill assistance
New Hampshire has non-governmental grants that can help middle-income homes that do not qualify for government-funded energy assistance programs, yet still experience financial hardship due to increased energy bills.
How it works:
Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a nonprofit charitable organization that helps New Hampshire residents each year with energy and natural gas bills through their local Community Action Agency.
Find out if you qualify by contacting your local Community Action Agency.
The fund also accepts donations online or by mail.
Neighbor Helping Neighbor assists an average of 800 households per year, according to Beth Gilbert, the fuel assistance program director for the Community Action Partnership in Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties.
