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? The NH Fuel Assistance Program allocates up to 4% of the total grant award to Assurance 16 activities to provide early outreach and self-sufficiency education to all households with fast-tracked crisis applications within the prior program year. The goal is to encourage applicants to apply for benefits in a timely manner in the new program year to avoid life-threatening situations and special delivery charges, which deplete the household's benefit. Households receive information on timeframes for applying, the application process, managing resources, communication with vendors, and referrals to other resources. All five CAAs participate in these Assurance 16 activities, with some having a dedicated case manager position performing the work. 13.2 How do you ensure that you don't use more than 5% of your LIHEAP funds for these activities? After the LIHEAP Grant Award is received, NH DOE calculates the maximum 10% Administrative and maximum 5% Assurance 16 fundin the maximum for each category has been calculated, NH DOE contracts the funds to the five CAA with the contracts providing the specific maximu Assurance 16 activities. NH DOE uses an internal tracking and reporting system and reviews individual CAA Assurance 16 expenditures and activi remaining balances are reviewed on a monthly basis to ensure that payments do not exceed the approved Assurance 16 funding level for allowable a 13.3 Describe the impact of such activities on the number of households served in the previous federal Fiscal Year. The most immediate impact of the interactions, outreach, and in some instances case management is a change in behavior for most households experiencing an energy emergency from one year to the next. The impact is also hopefully that the information provided will lead to behavior changes that not only minimize crisis situations but also can reduce dependency and increase self-sufficiency long term. Some data below from the prior program year will illustrate this. In PY24, NH had 1,083 households present as an energy emergency, meaning they had a crisis or life-threatening crisis in the winter. This was an increase of nearly 30% (300 households) from the prior program year. The vast majority of these had utility or deliverable fuel heat (89%). The remaining 11% were households facing an eviction with heat included in rent. 100% of the households were contacted and offered application assistance, budget or energy conservation counseling, and/or help with vendor relations or other referrals. Below are some outcome data from the work during the PY25 year as reported by the five CAAs: Two-thirds of the households (63%) were reenrolled in FAP again in PY25 • One-third of the households (33%) achieved greater self-sufficiency in PY25 and required a lower benefit • Only 18% of the households were a repeat emergency in PY25 • 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? 1083 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.