Fuel Fund of Maryland

The main goal of the Fuel Fund of Maryland is to provide utility crisis intervention programs to households who have been disconnected from their home utility (no power) or have an impending turn off notice from their utility.

Our p=primary objective is to provide utility assistance grants throughout the year, through the generosity of our donors, ensuring households can be safe 365.24.7.

Our priorities:
1) Provide utility assistance grants to households with no power or impending turn off notice from their utility.
2) Assist households from having to make trade-offs with other basic necessities like food so they won't have to go hungry because they cannot afford their utility bills.
3) Safeguard families from homelessness. With our support, families have more money for rent and also don't risk being evicted because of a utility shut-off.
4) Keep families together. Not having working utilities is considered child neglect, and children can be removed from the home.
5) Preserve family safety. Sometimes families use hazardous methods to stay warm such as gas from an oven.
6) Keep families healthy. Families sometimes get sick from being exposed to cold temperatures, and some forgo important medications so they can pay their utility bills, also creating health problems.

The Fuel Fund of Maryland provides utility crisis intervention programs throughout the year for households in the BGE (utility provider) service territory.

When providing a financial grant from our organization, Staff determine an applicant's income eligibility, assist with the application, and allocate funds that Fuel Fund of Maryland raises for our utility crisis intervention programs. Fuel Fund of Maryland oversees the process and approves applications through a centralized, web-based system. We then make grants based on a sliding scale, to the clients account, directly to the utility vendor on a daily basis.

All applicants receiving support from Fuel Fund of Maryland's crisis intervention program meet income eligibility requirements and one or more of the following criteria:

1. Currently has no power
2. In receipt of an impending turn off notice

We are a year-round program accepting applications as funding permits (generosity of our donors).

While federal and state government utility assistance programs may meet the goal of having a utility arrearage paid in full, many households still have a balance due and that is where the Fuel Fund of Maryland works its magic. Without electricity, families cannot run a water pump, heat hot water, or start a furnace. Electricity during the summer months is important beyond cooling a home and comfort. Some people with medical conditions need air conditioning, the ability to store their medications at refrigerated temperatures, and operate medical devices. Electricity is vital to store perishable foods, run appliances including stoves which are necessary for cooking, and to operate water pumps needed for laundry and basic hygiene such as hand washing.