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? Assurance 16 funding is allocated to the Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) to provide self sufficiency services to households approved for crisis assistance through SER. The goal in providing A16 services to SER recipients is to reduce energy costs and their need for assistance. Michigan Public Act of 2012 states, "Energy assistance must include services that will enable participants to become or move toward becoming self-sufficient, including assisting participants in paying their energy bills on time, assisting participants in budgeting for and contributing to their ability to provide for energy expenses, and assisting participants in utilizing energy services to optimize on energy efficiency. " Allowable self-sufficiency expenditures are included in the MEAP manual and include needs assessment, budgeting assistance, energy education, and providing assistance to households to enroll in affordable payment plans offered by their energy provider(s). Households who receive weatherization services may also receive Assurance 16 services, as part of the WAP. Assurance 16 services may include providing supplies for home energy assessments, solar installations as well as purchasing and distributing home energy kits to households. MDHHS when possible. may provide scholarships to clients directly to attain energy efficiency training. If not possible, these funds will go to contractors to broaden the workforce to perform energy-efficiency improvements in client homes. These scholarships will be for the Michigan Training and Education Center (MiTEC), the State of Michigan’s Weatherization training center. The estimated cost to train an entry level person to be ready to work in the energy efficiency workforce is approximately $2,650. Therefore, at the $1.5M funding level, over 500 clients and/or contractors could be trained to enter the Energy Efficiency workforce and provide these services to clients. 13.2 How do you ensure that you don't use more than 5% of your LIHEAP funds for these activities? Assurance 16 funding is made available through an Interagency Agreement with the Michigan Public Service Commission, which is a division of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs within the State of Michigan government. Programmatic and fiscal monitoring of the MEAP grantees will ensure that expenditure is within the amount allocated. Similarly, expenditure of LIHEAP Assurance 16 funding is monitored by the Department's Bureau of Community Action and Economic Opportunity. Funding is allocated once the block grant is awarded and the total Assurance 16 allocation will not exceed the 5% allowed. The Financial Specialist and LIHEAP Department Manager is responsible for monitoring Assurance 16 expenditures. A16 funding provided to MEAP is tracked quarterly and monitored to ensure compliance. Invoices are received through email from MPSC, these expenditures are compared to programmatic entries in Content Manager for accuracy. A16 funding provided to WAP is tracked in EGrAMS and monitored by the BCAEO and reviewed with the LIHEAP Department Manger during quarterly meetings for compliance. 13.3 Describe the impact of such activities on the number of households served in the previous federal Fiscal Year. MEAP grantees continue to spend time with clients in an appointment, whether through short term or long-term case management, to help stabilize a household and move them from a state of crisis toward self-sufficiency by addressing more than just the energy need. In taking the time to address other issues, providing/connecting households with other resources, and helping them work toward their goals MEAP grantees have positively impacted households receiving Assurance 16 services. Educating clients has proven to help empower them with individualized information that will help them control and reduce their energy and spending costs. Enrolling them into affordable payment plans helps to eliminate the cycle of emergent energy need, and provide them with stability, as well as promoting routine energy payments. Other impacts include: •Reducing home energy needs and thereby the need for energy assistance, •Establishing better communication with utility companies, •Lowering household energy consumption, and •Providing a greater awareness of household expenses which highlights areas where expenses could be reduced. 13.4 Describe the level of direct benefits provided to those households in the previous federal Fiscal Year. No LIHEAP direct benefits are issued in conjunction with Assurance 16 services by MEAP grantees, however MEAP grantees provide direct benefits issued with state funding through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund (LIEAF). Assurance 16 services administered through MEAP grantees assist in providing households by utilizing the tools outlined in the previous ICF modules. This along with the LIEAF state funding gives MEAP grantees the ability to utilize resources available to not only provide direct benefits to households within Michigan, but hands on tools to better equip them in the future. Public Act 95 of the Michigan Public Acts of 2013 (MCL 460.9t) was enacted creating the Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund (LIEAF) charging MDHHS with expending money from the fund as provided by the Michigan Energy Assistance Act. An ACT to amend 1939 PA 3 allows the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to annually approve a low-income energy assistance funding factor to $1.25 beginning FY26 and by not more than $0.25 each year thereafter the funding factor must not exceed a cap of $2. 00. Beginning in 2029, and each year thereafter, the commission shall adjust the cap on the LIHEAF factor by the percentage increase in the United States Consumer Price Index for the immediately preceding calendar year. 13.5 How many households received these services? 37,922 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.