Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Compliance with
federal requirements. Federal funds received by the director for the purpose of
providing home energy assistance or energy efficiency and weatherization
services shall be administered in accordance with any applicable federal laws
and program guidelines in effect from time to time. In the event the director
determines that any provision of this rule conflicts with any federal law or
program guideline as adopted or amended after the effective date of this rule,
the director may do all things necessary to conform the administration of
federally-funded assistance programs to applicable laws and guidelines,
including, without limitation, suspension of any invalid or conflicting
provision of this chapter of the Administrative Code.
(B) Home energy assistance program.
(1) Annual program determinations. Each year,
the director shall develop a plan for administration of the home energy
assistance program taking into account the amount of program funds to be
received by the state from the federal government, any additional funds that
may be made available for such programs by the state and the timing of the
availability of all such funds for distribution to eligible recipients. The
plan for administration, including the priorities for distribution of funds,
shall be as provided in the annual LIHEAP plan for the applicable program year.
The annual LIHEAP plan shall set forth the eligibility criteria for the program
year and describe the manner in which home energy assistance funds will be made
available for the crisis assistance component of the home energy assistance
program.
(2) Customer eligibility.
Eligibility for home energy assistance program benefits shall be as set forth
in the annual LIHEAP plan. Such assistance is not limited to PIPP
plus customers. The director may in the annual
energy assistance guidelines issued to local agencies for administration of the
program reserve emergency or crisis assistance for households that do not
receive electric service from an electric distribution utility and/or for
customers of electric distribution utilities who are not eligible to
participate in the PIPP plus program. The
director shall make information about the home energy assistance program,
including customer eligibility requirements, available to the public at public
hearings, through local agencies and various other communication channels,
including publication on the development services agency
website.
(C) Home
weatherization assistance program.
(1) Annual
program determinations. Each year, the director shall develop a plan for
administration of the home weatherization assistance program funds taking into
account the amount of program funds to be received by the state from the
federal government, any additional funds that may be made available for such
programs by the state and the timing of the availability of all such funds for
distribution to eligible recipients. The plan for administration, including the
priorities for distribution of funds, shall be as provided in the annual HWAP
plan for the applicable program year. The annual HWAP plan shall set forth the
eligibility criteria for such program year and describe the manner in which
home weatherization assistance funds will be made available to authorized
energy efficiency and weatherization service providers. Energy efficiency and
weatherization service providers shall adhere to applicable guidelines of the
federal agencies providing funds in selecting households to receive energy
efficiency and weatherization services.
(2) Customer eligibility. Eligibility for
home weatherization assistance program grants shall be as set forth in the
annual state plan for the home weatherization assistance program. Such
assistance is not limited to PIPP plus customers.
The director shall make information about the home weatherization assistance
program, including customer eligibility requirements, available to the public
at public hearings, through local agencies and various other communication
channels, including publication on the development services agency
website.
(D)
Application. The director shall identify the customer-level information
necessary and useful for purposes of determining customer eligibility and
administering customer participation in the home energy assistance program and
home weatherization assistance program. The director shall prepare a form of
application, which may be a single combined application for all low-income
customer assistance plans. The director shall make applications for the home
energy assistance program and the home weatherization assistance program
available to customers at various locations and through various publication
channels throughout the state, including at local agencies, by request to the
office of community assistance and by publication on the
development
services agency website. The application form may
be updated by the director from time to time
. Applications for home
energy assistance program funds and/or home weatherization assistance program
services may be submitted by customers to local agencies designated by the
director to accept such applications or by mail to the office of community
assistance.
Effective: 2/15/2015
Five Year
Review (FYR) Dates: 11/25/2014 and
02/15/2020
Promulgated
Under: 119.03
Statutory
Authority: 4928.53
Rule
Amplifies: 4928.51 to
4928.57
Prior
Effective Dates: 11/1/10
