13 Reduction of home energy needs,2605(b)(16) - Assurance 16

13.1 Describe how you use LIHEAP funds to provide services that encourage and enable households to reduce their home energy needs and thereby the need for energy assistance? Indiana uses LIHEAP funds to conduct Family Development and Energy Education. Family Development provides low-income households with short-term and long-term case management. Clients set goals and receive referrals for education, budgeting, home energy assessments, employment, child care, and a range of other self-sufficiency tools. EAP clients may also receive energy education which focuses mainly on energy conservation techniques. Some LSPs have given pre-test and post-tests to households to determine how the client's energy education knowledge changed after receiving energy education. For FFY2026, we are continuing with the changes we made to our model in FFY2025 and are not allowing all LSPs to budget a portion of their subaward to Assurance 16 activities. Instead, all interested LSPs have submitted a proposal on how they intend to perform and measure and report the impact of Assurance 16-allowable activities, including their budget for these activities and the associated reporting. IHCDA will approve plans that appear likely to achieve a demonstrable impact and allow for reporting metrics. 13.2 How do you ensure that you don't use more than 5% of your LIHEAP funds for these activities? For FFY 2026, we are budgeting 3% of our expected initial release of funds to award for LSPs whose Assurance 16 plans are approved. 13.3 Describe the impact of such activities on the number of households served in the previous federal Fiscal Year. LSPs choose to do a wide variety of A16 activities including energy education and family development. Some of these activities include budgeting, career planning, financial education, self sufficiency, referrals, follow ups, support services, and children's programs. Because of the variety of activities offered, it is difficult to present the outcomes according to a specific metric. That being said, our subrecipients' family development assessments and pre- and post-test surveys conducted in conjunction with energy education activities indicate an increase in knowledge regarding energy conservation strategies and the financial benefits of engaging in such activities. 13.4 Describe the level of direct benefits provided to those households in the previous federal Fiscal Year. N/A 13.5 How many households received these services? 19545 If any of the above questions require further explanation or clarification that could not be made in the fields provided, attach a document with said explanation here.