New Hampshire Insurance Department Provides Information for Consumers Regarding Leaking Home Heating Oil Tanks

NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) offers two programs to help consumers

As a result of recent news stories regarding leaking home heating oil tanks, the New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID) has received numerous
questions from consumers in relation to insurance coverage for cleanup costs associated with heating oil spills.

Leaking home heating oil tanks require cleanup and remediation that can cost well over $100,000. There are no admitted insurance carriers in New Hampshire who currently extend coverage to home heating oil spills.

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) offers two programs to help consumers who either have home heating oil tanks that are in danger of leaking, or already have leaked. The Safetank Program provides financial assistance to income qualified homeowners to upgrade, replace or remove their substandard home heating oil tank systems, also known as on-premise-use fuel oil (OPUF) tanks. The Safetank Program can reimburse homeowners up to $2,250 to upgrade or remove and replace an aboveground home heating oil storage tank and up to $2,500 to remove an underground home heating oil tank.

The Petroleum Reimbursement Fund Program is a financial assistance program for reimbursement of costs incurred by DES-required cleanup at eligible properties where a petroleum release has occurred from a tank system, including home heating oil tanks. The Petroleum Reimbursement Fund Program provides coverage of up to $500,000 to owners of home heating oil tanks.

“Home heating oil leaks can be hazardous to the environment and extremely expensive to mitigate,” said Deputy Commissioner DJ Bettencourt. “The NHID strongly encourages homeowners to upgrade or replace their heating oil tanks before a release occurs.”