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20 To determine the appropriate Crisis Assistance payment, the local agency may contact the vendor or review the household’s payment/usage history from twelve months ago. The total amount the household paid on the account for that particular month is the appropriate amount of the Crisis Assistance payment.

For example, a pre-pay household applied for assistance in August. The local agency reviewed a print-out of the payment/usage history from August of the previous year which indicated the household pre-paid a total of $125 for that month. The Crisis Cooling payment in this situation is $125.

If the household has had a pre-pay account for less than one year, the local agency can review the payment/usage history from the next month that data is available.

For example, a household applied for assistance in August, but has only been on pre-pay since October of the previous year. The local agency can use October’s payment/usage to determine the Crisis Cooling payment.

Pre-pay households that choose to revert to regular billing will be responsible for any deposits or reconnect fees. These fees are not allowable Crisis Assistance costs for pre-pay households.

6.2.4 Additional $50.00 to High Energy Need Households If the local agency identifies the household as having a high energy need, (including, but not limited to, those with a child under 18, elderly members, or disabled members), then there is the option to allocate an additional $50 to the Crisis Heating or Crisis Cooling payment.

This amount cannot be split into smaller increments; in other words, the entire $50 must be allocated or not at all. In addition, if allocating the additional $50 would result in exceeding the minimum amount required to alleviate the crisis, then the $50 must not be given.

6.2.5 Allowable Costs In addition to costs for utility usage and deliverable fuel, other allowable costs that can be covered by Crisis Heating or Crisis Cooling Assistance include:

• Deposits (excluding Pre-pay households) • Reconnect fees (excluding Pre-pay households) • Late fees • HAZMAT/Regulatory Compliance/test fees • Set-up fees/Tank rental fees • Fuel delivery surcharge • Same day/next day delivery fees