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PY26 WHEAP Manual
13 Revised: August 2025 lower income households. Section 42 housing apartments, also referred to as Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), do not meet this definition of government-assisted housing.
GQA Acronym for General Quality Assurance.
heating burden The responsibility for providing all energy used for home space heating.
heating/electric costs The costs of any source of heating/electric in a dwelling unit used for residential purposes. All heating/electric costs for business or any purpose other than the dwelling unit of the applicant are excluded.
heating season The period from October 1 through May 15.
HE+ System The web-based system used to communicate information between local agencies and DEHCR to assist in eligibility determinations, maintain records of cases, and assist in the distribution of energy benefits to low-income applicants. Formerly known as the “WHEAP System.”
high-risk household A household with past due fuel bills and/or a household at risk of actual or imminent loss of essential home energy. This may be indicated by disconnect notices, high fuel costs compared to household income, etc.
HIR Acronym for heat included in rent.
home energy All fuel sources used in a dwelling unit. It includes all heating costs and non-heating costs. Non- heating costs are often referred to on utility bills as baseload costs (the base costs before heating costs are included).
Home Energy Plus (HE+) HE+ is the umbrella term used for WHEAP and WAP.
homeless An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence or an individual who has a primary night-time residence that is: • A supervised publicly- or privately-operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations, or • An institution that provides temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or