Page 61

pg. 56 PAYMENTS LIHEAP EA payments will be made either to a participating home energy supplier or directly to the household in a one-time lump sum payment. Home energy supplier shall be defined as a public or private business engaged in the retail sale of home heating-cooling fuel and includes the following:  Public or private investor owned utilities.  Municipally owned utilities  Rural electric cooperatives  Privately owned distributorships Participating home-energy suppliers sign an agreement with the State of Missouri, FSD and display on the E1SD screen and Participating Home Energy Supplier Master List (FEARR500-01 and FEARR500-02) which generates monthly to all agencies. The E1SD screen will display the supplier’s name, address, phone number, fax number, email contact, fuel type and contact name. The START DATE field indicates when the supplier was added as a participating supplier to the system. If the supplier is no longer an active participating supplier, the END DATE field will be populated. ECIP payments are made only to suppliers who have contracted with a contract agency to resolve the crisis. The maximum benefit amounts for ECIP are $800 for the winter component and $300 for the summer component. If a home energy supplier has a current Home Energy Supplier Agreement with FSD, no additional ECIP agreement with the contract agency is required. The contract agency holds contracts or written agreements with home energy suppliers, who do not have a current LIHEAP agreement with the State of Missouri. FSD will stipulate the following minimum conditions for receipt of ECIP funds:  The supplier will not discriminate against ECIP customers with regard to:  Price charged for fuel in comparison to other customers of the supplier.  Conditions for delivery of fuel, provided the contract agency has made a commitment to pay for the delivery; and  Assessment of late payment charges for the time-period after the contract agency has made a commitment and the payment is made to the energy supplier, provided the time period does not exceed twenty (20) calendar days.  The suppler will only charge the ECIP customer the difference between the cost of home energy they purchase, and the amount of payment made by the contract agency and-or FSD.  The supplier will credit payments made by the contract agency to an ECIP household’s account within five (5) working days after receiving payment.  Suppliers subject to regulation by the Missouri PSC will comply with all rules, regulations, policies, and procedures issued by this entity that relate to the provision of home energy services to their low-income customers.  Suppliers can apply ECIP funds to fees included, but not limited to:  tank pressure and leak test fees,  delivery fees,  rental fees,