Page 16

Page | 14

who are not receiving CEAP assistance.

Each site making authorizations or payments will be responsible for keeping an up-to-date control card or computer record for each eligible household. This control file will detail the benefits awarded to the household and will include the heating source, authorized deliveries/services, and payments issued on behalf of the household.

Payments made directly to, or on behalf of, CEAP households shall not be considered income or resources for any purpose under any federal or state law in accordance with section 2605(f)(1) of the federal LIHEAP statute (42 U.S.C. §§ 8621-8630).

XVI. VENDORS

All energy vendors wishing to participate in CEAP must complete and submit a “Vendor Participation Document” which outlines the conditions under which payments will be made to each type of vendor. As part of the modernization of vendor processes, the Department has launched a new deliverable fuel online portal, which now enables vendors to create profiles, submit required documents, update business information, and maintain account details throughout the program year. Vendors are encouraged to utilize this portal to streamline communications and ensure timely updates to their participation status. For vendors who do not have internet access or prefer traditional submission methods, the Department will continue to accept the Vendor Participation Document via paper application, fax, or postal mail.

The only exceptions will be vendors of wood, wood pellets and coal, whose practices as energy suppliers to CEAP clients will be governed by existing state statutes. In accordance with requirements from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, vendors with large customer bases will be required to provide annual fuel consumption data for their customers that receive CEAP benefits. The collection of this data supports the determination of a household’s energy burden, allowing CEAP to better target the highest levels of benefits to households with the greatest energy needs in future program years.

The purpose of the Vendor Participation Document is to ensure program standardization, fair treatment of CEAP customers by vendors, and to establish the terms of payment for customers receiving CEAP assistance. This includes a requirement that vendors offer the same price discounts (including early payment discounts) to CEAP recipients as they do to similarly situated non-CEAP customers.

The Vendor Participation Document also establishes the pricing and reimbursement mechanism the state will use for oil heated households under CEAP.

Vendors who submit the Vendor Participation Document and verify their registration with the Department of Consumer Protection will be placed on a list of "authorized vendors" maintained by DSS and shared with the participating CAAs. Submission of the required documents does not guarantee a right to participate in CEAP. The state reserves the right to deny participation if a vendor does not meet additional program requirements i or is suspected of fraud, misrepresentation or violating the terms of the Vendor Participation Document. The state reserves the right to inspect or audit the records of any deliverable fuel vendor submitting bills for CEAP payment, both before and after payment, to verify the charges and ensure proper crediting of customer accounts.

XVII. DELIVERABLE FUEL VENDOR PRICING PROGRAM

As a part of the transition to the new pricing structures for the 2025-2026 CEAP season, county differentials will no longer be applied to determine vendor fuel pricing. This change aligns with the shift from OPIS (Oil Price Information Service), which was limited to a single terminal in New Haven, to DTN (Data Transmission Network), which provides rack pricing from four terminals across Connecticut (Bridgeport, Hartford, New