Page 41

40

PY26 WHEAP Manual

Revised: August 2025 3.2.5 Energy Burden To be eligible for energy assistance, the household must have a heat/electric burden on the date of the application. Table 3.2: Energy Burden (see Section 3.2.5.2), provides examples of situations and determinations of energy burden.

In addition to having an electric burden, there must be a relationship with a utility participating in the State Public Benefits program for an applicant to be eligible for non-heating (PB) electric assistance.

Responsibility for energy, heat and/or electricity, in the household can be demonstrated in several ways including, but not limited to: 1. Having an account with the energy supplier and directly paying the bills 2. Having the cost of the energy (heat and/or electricity) included in the rent 3. Making separate payments to the landlord for the energy supplied (heat and/or electricity) 4. Gathering or cutting wood used for heating, or purchasing wood from a non-registered supplier

When the account is not current because the vendor has closed the account (for lack of payment or other reasons), the relationship between the vendor and the applicant needs to be examined. • If the applicant has not moved and a different vendor will not be serving the household, the agency should work with the vendor and the applicant to get an account re-established. • If the applicant has moved, or has identified a new vendor to provide service, the agency should work with the new vendor and the applicant to get an active account established.

3.2.5.1 No Energy Burden Households The following do not satisfy the energy burden requirement: 1. Applicants who have no responsibility for heating/non-heating electric because the costs are being paid in full directly to the fuel supplier (or landlord, if heat/electric is included in rent) by a government program. 2. Applicants residing in government-assisted housing (subsidized housing) or receiving rental assistance and heat and/or electric is included in their rent. NOTE: Residents of housing units receiving Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), also known as “Section 42,” with heat and/or electric included in their rent do have an energy burden as they are not considered residents of government-assisted housing. 3. Renters who pay neither rent nor heating/electric costs because of an in-kind rental agreement. Renters who do not pay toward heating/electric costs when there is a shared meter and they do not pay any energy costs to anyone. 4. Tenants of group homes where the costs of care are paid by a local, state, or federal agency or charitable organization. This includes, but is not limited to, halfway houses or CBRFs.