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DIVISION OF STATE SERVICE CENTERS OFFICE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES DELAWARE ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OPERATIONS MANUAL (DEAP) NUMBER: 1100 Program: LIHEAP/Assurance 16 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE: LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) ASSURANCE 16 Approved: Date:_________________

Director:______________________ SECTION 1100 ASSURANCE 16 Assurance 16 1100. Assurance 16 is the 16th Assurance of the regulations that govern the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Assurance 16 is defined as “use up to 5 per cent of such funds , at its option, to provide services that encourage and enable households to reduce their home energy needs and thereby the need for energy assistance, including needs assessments, counseling and assistance with energy vendors, and report to the Secretary concerning the impact of such activities on the number of households served, the level of direct benefits provided to those households, and the number of households that remain unserved”.

1101. Assurance 16 costs may be budgeted for a number of agency activities implemented in compliance with Assurance 16 of the LIHEAP statute. These costs are primarily staff related. Examples of these include staff costs for:

1. Casework with clients in crisis (other than DEAP benefit eligibility determination),

2. Assisting in setting up payment arrangements between clients and energy vendors,

3. Budget counseling particularly related to energy cost budgeting,

4. Energy education with DEAP clients,

5. Referral and arrangement of services with other sources of utility assistance,

6. Cost of special outreach sites during the DEAP season,