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PY26 WHEAP Manual

85 Revised: August 2025 written verification of any gift income the customer has received during the test period. Self- declaration of the gift income amounts is allowed. HE+ System Notes are required for self-declared gift income amounts. A written or verbal statement from the gift giver may also be used as verification. The use of the ZIF is optional in other situations, at the agency’s discretion, as a tool to ensure accurate processing of an application.

4.4.28 Energy Fuels (Fuel Page) The fuel page is intended to collect information about fuel use and payment responsibility. It is important to correctly complete all the fuel entries as they can have an influence on the amount of the benefit.

Fuel information is required on all applications, including those for over-income households.

4.4.28.1 Basic Fuel Page Rules 1. For an application to be complete, the electric information needs to be provided. If an applicant does not have electricity in their home, an application can be entered without an electric energy fuel. The worker must make the appropriate selection in the HE+ System to indicate there is no electricity in the home. There must be documentation in HE+ System Notes explaining why no electric fuel type was entered. 2. For an application to be complete, there must be a primary energy fuel (heating) selected.

4.4.28.2 Primary Heating Fuel An applicant may only report one primary fuel type. If the applicant has more than one heating source, the applicant and the agency need to determine which fuel type the applicant uses the most to heat the residence.

In choosing between fuels to declare as the primary heating fuel, consider the following: • When there are two heating units, consider which fuel supplies 50% or more of the household heat. • When there is a farmhouse or outbuildings, there is generally a separate tank and account from the home. • Consider the primary heating unit of the dwelling. The primary heating unit declared on the application affects Weatherization services available for this dwelling. • Should there be a furnace failure, furnace service is only available for the primary heating fuel. When the dwelling is audited for Weatherization services, only the primary heating type identified on the application is included in the audit assessment. • Selecting “wood or other” without a vendor will result in the eligible applicant receiving a single-party check and means the household will not be eligible for any heating Crisis Assistance. An HE+ System Note must be added to identify the fuel type. “Other” fuel types include corn pellets, other biofuels (corn stalks, etc.), or kerosene.

A household may not change the primary fuel type on the application after the benefit has been paid.