R982-402-11. HEAT Crisis Assistance

(1) A crisis exists when a household faces a sudden or unexpected event beyond its control resulting in the inability to pay home energy costs. A crisis may be caused by: (a) unexpected increase in medical costs; (b) sudden loss of job, public benefits, or other income; (c) malfunction of heating equipment; or (d) other circumstances that may pose a potential health or safety threat. (2) Circumstances that do not necessarily qualify as a crisis include: (a) chronic non-payment of utility or fuel costs; (b) unexplained or excessively high utility or fuel costs; (c) payments that will create a credit balance on a utility account; (d) payments on a utility account previously sent to a collection agency; (e) capital improvements to a rental property; or (f) other situations which are not sudden, unexpected, or beyond the control of the household. (3) To be eligible for HEAT crisis assistance, a household must be eligible for HEAT assistance during the same HEAT program year. (a) If the local HEAT office determines that a household is in a crisis situation and is eligible to receive HEAT crisis assistance, HEAT crisis assistance will be provided within: (i) 18 hours of the eligibility determination if the household submits written notice from the Division of Public Utilities that the residence has "life-supporting equipment" as defined in Rule R746-200; or (ii) 48 hours of the eligibility determination. (b) The HEAT supervisor or the supervisor's designee must approve each expenditure. (c) Payments of HEAT assistance are issued to the utility supplier. If the household uses propane or wood as a heating source, or if the state does not have a contract with the utility supplier, the percentage of HEAT assistance attributable to that heating source may be paid directly to the client. (d) HEAT crisis payments are limited to a maximum of $500 per household per utility per HEAT program year unless the HEAT supervisor or state HEAT office approves an amount greater than $500 per utility.