Shaheen, Hassan Join Bipartisan Push to Lower Costs of Home Heating Options
(Washington, DC) — U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) helped introduce bipartisan legislation to help families afford cost-reducing, sustainable residential home heating technologies. The BTU Tax Credit Expansion Act incentivizes the purchase of these innovative heating sources by increasing the maximum rebate for biomass stoves and boilers from $2,000 to $8,000. Once purchased, the stoves’ yearly fuel and maintenance costs are significantly lower than other heating options.
“With energy costs straining family budgets this winter, I’m glad to support this bipartisan legislation to help make residential home heating technologies like highly efficient wood boilers, stoves and heaters more affordable,” said Shaheen. “Investing in these cost-effective heating options not only lowers energy bills for Granite State families but also benefits the environment by reducing fossil fuel emissions. I’ll continue working in the Senate to support better utilization of natural resources to meet our energy needs, cut costs for Granite Staters and combat the climate crisis.”
“High home-heating costs are hurting Granite Staters this winter, and we must keep working together to lower energy costs in New Hampshire,” said Hassan. “That’s why I’m helping introduce this bill that leverages new, innovative home heating technologies to help Granite Staters save money, and I will continue working to help lower costs across the board.”
The bill was introduced by Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and cosponsored by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
Senator Shaheen is a leading policymaker on energy efficiency priorities. From her landmark bipartisan legislation to address energy efficiency building codes with Senator Portman (R-OH) to her leadership as a negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure law and her consistent advocacy to include robust funding for important federal programs in annual government funding legislation, Senator Shaheen has secured significant investments in the energy efficiency sector over the years. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has consistently secured federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to assist low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills and stay safe during the winter. Earlier this year, Shaheen joined a bipartisan coalition of senators in a push urging for the swift release of LIHEAP funds. Shaheen also champions the Weatherization Assistance Program and other energy efficiency measures to help Granite Staters keep their energy usage down and lower their monthly bills. She authored an op-ed for the Union Leader, reminding Granite Staters of the resources and opportunities available to help reduce energy costs at home by making important energy efficiency modifications. The op-ed can be read in full here.
Senator Hassan is working across the aisle to bring down energy costs for Granite Staters. During negotiations on the government funding legislation from September, Senator Hassan worked closely with her Democratic and Republican colleagues to successfully secure additional direct heating assistance for families. Senator Hassan also led the New England delegation in calling on President Biden to lower energy costs by releasing oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. Senator Hassan successfully included in the Inflation Reduction Act her measure with Susan Collins (R-ME) to help lower energy costs for families and reduce carbon emissions by expanding and extending a tax credit for energy efficient home upgrades.
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