Page 291

EAP Policy Manual FFY24 Chapter 15 Energy Vendors Page 19 Energy Vendor Monitoring & Reporting Requirements Monitoring energy vendors is essential to ensure program quality and integrity. An EAP energy vendor is bound by the requirements of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. § 8623(c)) and the Energy Vendor Agreement. Monitoring can also ensure energy vendors follow these rules. Service Providers are required to monitor energy vendors. Correct energy costs and consumption are an essential part of determining the appropriate benefit to the household because benefit levels are based partly on the actual heating cost for the previous year. Energy vendors must be able to reproduce the account balance and energy cost information they provided on each household upon request. Monitoring helps ensure cost and consumption information provided by the energy vendor was accurate and true and payments were appropriately applied. Energy vendors must contact the Service Provider if for any reason the consumption amount needs to be changed after original submission. Access to Records Energy vendors must allow the Service Provider and Commerce access to their records for compliance monitoring. Monitoring includes verifying transactions between the energy vendor and the Service Provider. This includes but is not limited to cost information, application of payments to household accounts, billing to eligible households, providing equal services to EAP eligible households, and any or all other activities agreed to in the Energy Vendor Agreement. When selected by the Service Provider for compliance monitoring, the energy vendor will receive an Energy Vendor Monitoring Report Cover Letter explaining the process. The energy vendor must complete the Energy Vendor Monitoring Report and supply requested records. The Service Provider utilizes the Energy Vendor Monitoring Report SP Review Tool to assess compliance and analyze records. Energy Vendor Audit The Energy Vendor Audit is one of the monitoring activities EAP conducts to ensure internal controls are in place and that energy vendor activities are conducted properly. This is a desk monitoring activity with follow up by the PPAs as needed. Commerce emails Service Providers instructions and a questionnaire. Service Providers must send the completed questionnaire to Commerce at eap.mail@state.mn.us by November 1, 2023.The documents may be returned when completed, but should not be returned until all energy vendor monitoring activities are finished. After receipt of the completed questionnaire, Commerce will request a random sample of energy vendor agreements and energy vendor monitoring reports. The Energy Vendor Manager