Heating Oil

The purpose of the NHDES Safetank Program is to provide financial assistance to income qualified homeowners to upgrade, replace or remove their substandard home heating oil tank systems, also known as on-premises-use fuel oil (OPUF) tanks. These tanks can be indoor or outdoor aboveground storage tank systems or underground tank systems that are not subject to NHDES regulations (i.e. neither Env-Or 300 "Aboveground Petroleum Storage Facilities" nor Env-Or 400 "Underground Storage Tank Facilities”). 

The program can reimburse up to $3,300 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. For most Safetank projects, the tank installation or removal professionals are reimbursed directly for upgrade or replacement work that is pre-approved by NHDES, relieving the homeowner from paying the contractors and waiting for reimbursement from the Safetank program.

NHDES strongly recommends that a homeowner upgrade, replace or remove their substandard home heating oil system before it leaks to prevent significant disruption to a homeowner and incurring expensive costs associated with contamination clean-up. However, if a petroleum release does occur from a tank system, the Safetank program is still available to a homeowner. To apply to the Safetank program, please fill out an application for submission to NHDES.

If a release does occur from a tank system, the New Hampshire Petroleum Reimbursement Fund (Fund) provides reimbursement of costs incurred for NHDES-required clean-up for eligible OPUF owners who do not have private insurance coverage. To be eligible for reimbursement through the Fund, a homeowner’s tank must be in compliance with all federal, state and local rules and regulations, which include the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 31 standards and NHDES’ "Best Management Practices for the Installation and Upgrading of On-Premises-Use Heating Oil Tanks," 2008 edition.