MONTPELIER, Vt. – Vermont is eyeing $5.2 million in state funds to provide more help to low-income residents with fuel bills this winter. Its northern New England neighbors say they’ll need more money than last winter, too, but they don’t have plans yet for getting it.

In Maine, officials expect to receive the same amount of federal heating assistance money as they did last year: $24 million.

But to buy the same amount of oil that $24 million bought last year would require $38 million at current prices, said Dan Simpson of the Maine State Housing Authority. The state doesn’t know how it would make up the difference, but the governor and the state’s congressional delegation have requested additional federal funds.

“Hopefully the federal government will increase its amount of funding,” Simpson said Friday.

Vermont officials say they need an extra $8 million to help low-income Vermonters pay their heating bills this winter.

The state hopes to receive an additional $3.2 million from the federal government, tap $1.7 million from a budget surplus and transfer $3.5 million from the state’s weatherization trust fund.

“I’m very encouraged the administration has come up with what seems like a viable solution,” said Rep. Martha Heath, D-Westford, chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee and the Joint Fiscal panel. “We are all extremely concerned about what will happen this winter to people on the program.”

New Hampshire saw an 8.5 percent increase in the number of people who qualified for fuel assistance last winter and demand may be even higher this winter.

“The number of people who are calling in is at a very high level,” said Celeste Lovett, program manager for the state’s fuel assistance program.

New Hampshire spent $17.2 million to help more than 30,000 people heat their homes last year. Lovett said the state will provide a base benefit to qualified applicants and add to it later if finances allow.

Vermont’s Emergency Board, made up of the governor and heads of the Legislature’s four money committees, would need to hold a special meeting in the coming weeks to approve moving money to the fuel assistance fund.

Applications for help are up 7 percent in Vermont, according to Betsy Forrest, deputy commissioner of the Department of Children and Families.

“We don’t know if people are applying earlier or that is new people,” she said.