YOur home, Our Home

Hard times can happen to anyone.

Each winter, more than 30 million people across the United States struggle to keep their homes warm. Behind every statistic is a neighbor, coworker, family member, or friend facing impossible choices between heat, food, medicine, or even keeping a beloved pet.

Since 1983, the Washington Area Fuel Fund (WAFF) has been a winter lifeline for households facing those moments. When other assistance is exhausted and options are limited, WAFF helps families keep their natural gas heat on and their homes safe.

A job loss. An illness. An accident. A sudden expense that turns a stable household into one that is struggling.

A warm home changes everything.

WAFF exists to stop short-term hardship from becoming a long-term crisis. With help from WAFF, families can keep the heat flowing while focusing on food, medicine, work, and caring for the people and pets they love.

Over four decades, WAFF has distributed more than $34 million in emergency heating assistance, helping over 320,000 people across the Washington region find warmth, stability, and relief. Each year, more households turn to WAFF when winter bills become unmanageable. Every gift makes an immediate difference for a local family.

Beginning in 2026, WAFF enters a new chapter as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, focusing on households that rely on natural gas heating. This helps each dollar go further, increasing impact while preserving our mission: making sure that no family faces winter without heat.

We are also proud to announce that we are expanding our service territory to include additional counties and cities in Maryland and Virginia. These additions will allow millions more residents to seek help during challenging times, strengthening our region’s safety net when it is needed most.

WAFF is guided by a dedicated Board of Directors made up of community leaders and a utility representative, committed to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship.

On behalf of the thousands of families who turn to WAFF each winter, thank you for helping turn cold houses into warm, safe homes.