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24 There is no limit on the number of dealers an agency may use. It is recommended that each agency have a minimum of two to three dealers per county, preferably located in various parts of the county. It is also recommended that when practical the delivery business be divided equitably among each reputable dealer.

As a matter of ethics, agency LIHEAP employees who are related to (or friends of) dealers must notify the executive director of the relation or friendship to the dealer. The executive director must then determine whether a possible conflict of interest could exist and take necessary action to prevent a conflict.

7.6 Vendor Refunds If the local agency receives a vendor refund from a payment obligated during the current program year, that refund must be returned to the local agency’s LIHEAP fund and can be used to assist other eligible households.

If the refund is for a payment made from a previous program year, it must be returned to the State Office upon receipt. The local agency should also identify the beneficiary’s name, system ID, the vendor, the date the beneficiary benefit was issued, the date the refund was returned, the amount of the refund, the method of the refund, and the program (i.e., Heating, Cooling, Crisis Heating, or Crisis Cooling). Agencies must submit the Vendor Refund Form (Appendix P) for each vendor refund received to ADECA. A single check may be sent to ADECA for more than one refund but should be accompanied by Vendor Refund Forms for each individual refund included in the check.