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EAP Policy Manual FFY24 Chapter 5 Crisis Page 9 resolve the emergency, the household’s non-emergency energy vendors’ payments may also be redirected to the emergency energy vendor. Crisis Implementation Crisis Response Timelines and Prioritization Crisis has four categories, depending on the level of customer service required: 1. Life-threatening situation: A household in a life-threatening situation must receive the highest service level. Not later than 18 hours after the household applies for emergency benefits, the Service Providers must provide some form of assistance that will resolve the emergency (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. § 8623(c))). Life threatening situations include: • No heat in the house. • No heat distribution. 2. Not immediately life threatening: The second level of service is for households with no heat or no heat distribution with the following conditions: • Household has an alternate or temporary heat source. • Weather conditions or inside air temperature are at a safe level. Not later than 48 hours after the household applies for emergency benefits, the Service Providers must provide some form of assistance that will resolve the emergency (Low- Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. § 8623(c))) . 3. Crisis Prevention: The third level of service is for households experiencing energy emergencies that are not immediately life threatening, and additional time is available to prevent a loss of heat. For example, a household is scheduled for a shut-off in the current billing cycle or has less than 20% of the tank fuel capacity remaining. If no Crisis applications from categories one or two are pending, Crisis applications from households in this category should be prioritized and reasonable efforts made to avert or avoid the impending emergency within a time appropriate for the reported situation. When the household has adequate fuel remaining and to avoid additional fees for crisis delivery, the energy vendor can be notified to provide the crisis fill during the regular route. 4. Households with a senior or households with a shutoff notice but not at risk of being shut off: The fourth level of service is for households that have at least one member age 60 or older and are unable to pay their past due and/or current energy bill (delivered or connected). This fourth level is also for households with active disconnect notices that are not at risk of disconnect. These households are not subject to the 18/48 timeline and can be served in the normal log date order.