FFY2014

1
FFY2014 EAP Annual Training Part 2 Policies
Procedures Reasonable Payment Worksheet
2
Crisis
3
Crisis Introduction

• Primary Heat First
• Introduced last year
• After some adjustments program took off
• General agreement it is the right thing to do

4
Crisis Introduction

• FFY14
• No major changes to the approach in Crisis for
  FFY14
• Codify items issued during FFY13 into Manual
• Improvements to eHEAT and procedures

5
FFY14 Crisis

• Whats New in FFY14 (Answer Refinements)
• Crisis services remains the same as FFY13
• Primary Heat First
• Improvement documentation
• Benefit determination functionality
• With minor policies improvements and procedure
  enhancements including eHEAT
• Emphasize no major or minor policy changes

6
Introduction

• Last year launched and we learned as we went
• Issue FAQ, did enhancements, gathered input
• We used lesson learned EACA input, FAQs and did
  JADs to refined policies and procedures

7
Reconnect to Crisis Design

• Background
• Driven by reduced funding and issues discovered
  via auditing, EAP made Crisis improvements in
  FFY13
• An inherent issue with equity and fairness was
  addressed by using Primary Heat to address
  emergencies before using Crisis funds

8
Reconnect to Crisis Design

• Crisis Intentions
• Keep the program available for the most
  households for the entire program year given
  funding reductions
• Increase the equity of the Crisis program
• Improve program integrity to address major
  concerns revealed by audit finding
• Prevent non-heat electric disconnections to
  address socio-economic (evictions, etc), health
  safety issues
• Improve measurement of addressing no-heat
  situations

9
FFY13 Crisis Program
By the numbers (as of July 22, 2013)
Activity as of 7/22 for each FFY FFY13 FFY12
Crisis HHDs served (excluding emergencies resolved with PH) 42,270 39,370
Total HHDs served by EAP 147,839 162,971
of total served receiving Crisis 28 24
Total Crisis as of 4/22/13 16.1 M 16.4M
Average Crisis benefit 383 410
Emergencies Resolved (w/PH) 8,359 NA
10
FFY13 Crisis Program

• Considerations for Evaluating Outcomes
• EAP is evaluating outcomes based on the
  intentions
• Challenges
• Some results are difficult to evaluate until we
  can compare from year to year
• Some are difficult to measure due to inconsistent
  implementation
• Some numbers need to be tested for other factors
  that influence the number

11
FFY13 Crisis Program

• Considerations for Evaluating Outcomes
• Intention 1 Keep the program available for the
  most households for the entire program given
  funding reductions
• Did utilization of PH First lower Crisis average
  thus allowing more HHD to be served?
• Measuring emergencies (shutoffs disconnects
  plus resolved?).

12
FFY13 Crisis Program

• Considerations for Evaluating Outcomes
• Intention 2 Address socio-economic, health and
  safety issues related to non-heat electric
  disconnections
• What effect did serving non-heat electric HHDs
  have?

13
Evaluating Crisis Services

• Considerations for Evaluating Outcomes
• Intention 3 Increase the equity of the Crisis
  program
• PH First enables consistent and equitable
  application of Crisis
• Balancing concerns with HHD returning for
  additional assistance with PH resolving the
  emergency
• Intention 4 Improve program integrity to address
  major concerns revealed by finding
• Auditing shows Crisis documentation is greatly
  improved, improving program integrity

14
Crisis Services

• Overview Crisis Policy Procedure
• Fundamental change PH first to address
  emergencies
• Allow Crisis for non-heat electric
• Coping with over 20 Crisis delivery mistakes
• 24/7 phone coverage
• Avoid self-supplied biofuel direct payments
• Verification and documentation requirements

15
Crisis Requests

• Training Topics
• Crisis Requests
• Crisis Response Timeline
• New Application Question eHEAT Functionality
• Crisis request procedures policy refinements
• Policy and Procedures refinements
• Updated screen

16
Crisis Requests

• Enable SP to triage emergency response services
• New language Pg. 6 to Crisis Response Timelines
• Life-threatening situation . . .
• Not immediately life threatening . . .
• Household member age 60 or older and not shut off
  or in danger of being shut off and other
  households with a shutoff notice who are not at
  risk of being shut off . . .
• . . .This third level is also for households with
  active disconnect notices that are not at risk of
  disconnect. These households are not subject to
  the 18/48 timeline and can be served in the
  normal priority order.
• .

17
Crisis Requests

• New Application Question and eHEAT Functionality
  for reported Emergencies
• Requests submitted on Application
• eHEAT Functionality
• Then
• Procedural requirements for emergency requests
• Policy Procedure

18
Components of Emergency
19
The Application

• JAD developed these questions
• Requests submitted on Application
• Intended to reduce erroneous emergency request by
  giving enough info to determine it is energy
  emergency

20
Enter In eHEAT

• Enter emergency info from Application question or
• Must have at least one whole row

21
Complete Screen Feature

• Emergency Information displayed for review

22
eHEAT Uses Info
Emergency Info is available for review

• When Determining Eligibility is clicked, eHEAT
  using the info
• For delivered fuels when PH payment cover
• generates an Resolved Crisis event
• For connected or unresolved delivered fuels
• It creates an In Progress Crisis event
• Schedules are collapsed

23
Crisis Summary Info
Crisis Summary
Link to Event
24
Crisis Event Screen

• Auto Application Event with note

• For non entry, new feature to select how
  emergency was initiated

25
Resolved Event
Primary Heat covers minimum delivery
Inserts note

• Saves time on Delivered Fuel entries
• Because Minimum deliveries and PH do not change

26
Initial Entry of Crisis Event
Xcel Energy (Heat)
Collapse Scheduled Payments For emergency vendor

• Saves initial entry time
• Puts events in place pre-money arrival
• Remember SP verifies and updates info when funds
  arrive

27
3 Other Specifics of Feature

• Outline
• What reason are covered
• Initiating a Event on Crisis Tab
• Editing info after Determine Eligibility

28
What It is used for ( limitations)

• Use for 5 of the 7 Crisis Reasons

• Heat Related Disconnection
• Heat Related Disconnection Notice
• Non-Heat Related Disconnection
• Non-Heat Related Disconnection Notice
• Less than 20

1 3
2 4
5

• Enter other 2 Reasons on Crisis tab
• Senior
• One Week Biofuel

29
How Initiated

• New feature to report how emergency was initiated

• Reminder Auto Application is selected when event
  is generated from emergence question functionality

30
Editing Emergency Info

• Making the app Incomplete
• Unable to do if
• If Active Crisis events you need to cancel
• Then update information, complete app and
  re-determine eligibility

31
Policy Procedures
Process for Handling Applications with
Emergencies .
The Manual Chapter 7 Page 6-7
32
Policy Procedures
Chapter 7 Page 6-7

• Process for Handling Applications with
  Emergencies
• Service Providers need to prioritize emergencies
  requests.
• There are different prioritization processes when
  emergency requests are received before funds and
  with funds
• The following procedure should be considered as a
  best practice for processing the back-log.
• 1. Sort applications by log date and find those
  with emergencies.
• 2. Triage those with emergencies and prioritize
  based on known information about the household
  situation (emergency type, household resources,
  what the Service Provider knows about the energy
  vendor shut-off practices, etc.)
• 3. Process the application to determine
  eligibility based on the triage.

33
Using Application eHEAT Functionality  
Chapter 7 Page 7

• Process for Addressing Emergencies Using eHEAT
  Emergency
• If a household reports an energy emergency and
  the Service Provider has not yet determined the
  households eligibility, the Service Provider may
  utilize energy emergency functionality in eHEAT.
  The process is
• Household reports emergency
• If any part of application question is filled it
  is considered a request.
• Can confirm with household or vendor
• If no, return to normal processing, if yes
  process app
• Can be on application or by phone or walk-in

34
Using Application eHEAT Functionality  
Chapter 7 Page 7

• Process for Addressing Emergencies Using eHEAT
  Emergency
• Enter the household Emergency Information on the
  Housing and Heat Screen in eHEAT, complete the
  application and determine eligibility.

35
Using Application eHEAT Functionality  

• For delivered fuels emergencies if Primary Heat
  payments for the emergency energy vendor are
  sufficient to cover the reported emergency
  amount, eHEAT creates a Resolved Crisis event.
  If Primary Heat payments for the emergency energy
  vendor are insufficient to resolve the emergency,
  eHEAT creates an In progress Crisis event.
• For connected utility emergencies eHEAT
  collapses Primary Heat payments for the emergency
  energy vendor into one payment and creates an
  In-progress Crisis event.

Or
Collapse Scheduled Payments
And
36
Using Application eHEAT Functionality  
Chapter 7 Page 7

• When Crisis funds are available, review In
  progress Crisis events and verify the energy
  emergency with the energy vendor. If there is an
  energy emergency, process the Crisis event. If
  there is not an energy emergency, cancel the
  Crisis event.

Funds are allocated
Review
Verify Emergency at that time
Emergency Info
emergency
No longer emergency
37
Policy Clarification Rewritten section

• Crisis Benefit Determination and Distribution
• Amount of Crisis Benefit section Simplified

• Chapter 7 Page 3

38
Policy Procedures

• Chapter 7 Page 2 New Section from FAQ

• Valid Disconnection Notice
• The disconnection notice must have a scheduled
  disconnection date.
• Validate with the energy vendor the disconnection
  notice is still active.
• If an energy vendor issues disconnection notices
  and the notice has not been cancelled, it is
  considered a valid disconnection notice.
• Variation between heat and non-heat related
  disconnections
• Non-heat disconnection notices must be scheduled
  for disconnection within 30 days.
• Heat-related disconnection notices a date
  anytime in the past or future is valid.

39
Procedure Clarification

• Chapter 7 Page 4 5

• Collapsing payments
• Common error was not changing schedule
• SP must be attentive when collapsing payments for
  Crisis
• When collapsed, defaults to next schedule date
• If PH with next scheduled payment 25 days later
  when addressing a Crisis is not addressed in a
  timely manner
• Check dates and set for current date

Is this today?
40
Procedure Clarification

• Chapter 7 Page 4 5

• Accounting for PH payments
• Crisis benefit may be wrong when Primary Heat
  payments and the Crisis determination process are
  out of sync. Adjust payments and make notes

• 12/8/13 Actual amount owed is 152. 100 PH
  payment on 12/7/13 but not yet credited. Entered
  52 - JM

41
Policy Clarification Addition to section

• Crisis Benefit Determination and Distribution
• Crisis benefit is rounded up
• eHEAT rounds Crisis Benefit up to nearest dollar
• Before SP adjusted amount owed, but now eHEAT
  rounds when it
• This ensures resolution of the emergency
• This may result in a small credit of less than
  1.00
• Manual says to enter a rounded amount and take
  notes You can do this but not required

42
Policy Procedures

• Chapter 7 Page 9

• Process to Reduce Ineligible Crisis Delivery
  section
• No Crisis fuel is put into the tank.
• The trip charge is put on the household account.
• pays the trip charge with the HHDs available
  Primary Heat. If no PH use Crisis funds.
• The Service Provider may request to have the
  truck driver, while still at the dwelling,
  provide any remaining Primary Heat funds after
  deducting any trip charges.

43
Policy Procedures

• New sections What if Delivered Fuel
  Post-Verification Price differs?
• As long as the initial information from the
  energy vendor was accurate and documented, a 10
  or less difference caused by a price change may
  remain on a households energy vendor account.
  Make notes in eHEAT to explain the situation.
• For DF paid after delivery the original
  verification date should be left in that field
  (for auditing of 24/48 timelines). Put updated
  information in the Notes field to explain the
  situation.

44
Policy Procedures

• Splitting Crisis Benefit 11/19 FAQ
• HHD has an emergency with 2 vendors
• HHD wants to have Crisis distributed to both
• eHEAT requires the Amount owed
• SP can calculate the amount to put in the Amount
  owed Fields and make notes in the notes field
  about the verified event

• 12/8/13 Actual amount owed Xcel is 700. HHD
  has Crisis with CPE of 400. HHD wants to split
  500 benefit to be 250 for each - JM

250
45
Reasonability Check
Example Today is 1/8/14

• Assessment
• Some entered info without assessing it
• This info is intended to help assess if delivery
  is reasonable
• Note assessment if info does not support delivery
• Enter HHD report in Notes field
• For Less Than 20, note the HHD reported percent
  in tank
• For One Week of Biofuel, note the HHD reported
  remaining days of biofuel (less than 7)

• 12/9/13

250

• 500

• 1/8/14 HHD reported 15. Consumption is high
  because of cold weather. HHD likely at 15 to 20.
  - JM

46
Policy Procedures

• Chapter 7 Page 910

• Clarification Less than 20 Crisis Reason
  section
• Can pay an arrearage even if it does not result
  in a delivery.
• If the available Crisis benefit is not enough for
  a delivery, it cannot be provided unless combined
  with the households or other resources to result
  in a delivery.

532 Arrears
500 Crisis
100 HeatShare
500 Avail Crisis
600 Min Del.
47
Delivery Confirmation Enhanced

• Rationale
• Gallons Filled more precise
• Total delivery amount is figured out from gallons
  price fees
• Did not have place for fees

• Previously

• Enhancements

48
Policy Procedures
Clarification from FAQ New section Types of
non-heat electric. The following are the four
household situations where there is still heat if
the electricity is shut off

• HIR heat in rent.
• Condo heat is provided through a housing
  association.
• Wood No Blower electricity is not needed to
  operate or distribute heat.
• Muni Steam steam heat operating without
  electricity.

49
eHEAT Enhancement

• Add Employee Name field on Senior Crisis

50
Policy Procedures
Chapter 7 Page 12 Update RPW

• Senior Past Due or Current Energy Bill
• To be eligible for this Crisis reason, there must
  be at least one household member age 60 or older.
  
• Household must have a past-due and/or current
  bill and are unable to pay as determined by the
  Reasonable Payment Worksheet (RPW).
• Unable to pay means the RPW indicates the
  households past-due and/or current bill is more
  than the reasonable payment amount.
• Doug Burns will walk through update RPW

51
Reasonable Payment Worksheet
52
Reasonable Payment Worksheet

• RPW modified for current use for
• Determining Crisis eligibility for households
  with a senior member
• Working with households i.e. case management,
  household budget or financial education, etc.

53
Reasonable Payment Worksheet

• Crisis for Senior
• RPW calculates whether a HH with a senior member
  (60 year or older) is reasonably unable to pay
  their past due and/or current energy bill when
  they are not in danger of disconnect
• If the households energy bill is more than what
  the household can reasonably pay the energy
  vendor, the household may be eligible for Crisis

54
RPW

• Determining household eligibility
• RPW Excel file
• eHEAT RPW Download HH data export

55
RPW

• Instructions for Using the Reasonable Payment
  Worksheet (RPW) include
• Download household information for completing the
  RPW from eHEAT
• Determining a household's monthly Reasonable
  Payment Amount from the RPW

56
RPW
Reasonable Payment Summary Export
57
RPW
10 pre-filled. Ask and enter what HH says they
can pay
58
RPW
Is the households amount realistic?
HH says they can pay 200 per month for energy
bills TOO HIGH
59
RPW
What if the households income is too low?
The households income is too low to pay monthly
expenses
60
RPW
Fast Track shows insufficient income to
reasonably pay energy bills. The household may be
eligible for Crisis assistance
HH can receive Crisis for current bills over
amounts indicated
61
RPW
Household says they can pay 77. Enter 77 in H8.
62
RPW

• Household is able to pay the Reasonable Payment
  Amount calculated at the top of Page 1
• Households with a senior member can receive
  Crisis if the energy vendors statement exceeds
  the amount shown for the vendor

If MERC bill is more than 31, HH is eligible for
Crisis and/or 46 for Roch. PU
63
RPW
The household states 77 is too much. Go to Page
2.
64
RPW
Top of Page 2 Auto-entered data
65
RPW
Enter household expenses
66
RPW
Entered expenses have reduced available funds
67
RPW
Households reasonable payment from Page 2
If MERC bill is more than 11and/or Rochester PU
is greater than 17, the HH is eligible for
Crisis.
68
RPW
Ima Senior has higher income scenario
69
RPW
The households monthly payment ability goes up
Fast Track calculates a high HH monthly payment.
Too high for HH for energy bills
70
RPW
Household states they can pay 120 for energy
bills
HH states 120
71
RPW
Households available income for energy bills is
191
Based on actual income and expenses the HH can
pay 191/month toward energy bills.
72
RPW
If Payment per Vendor is higher than bill, HH
is not eligible
If MERC bill is more than 77 and/or Rochester PU
is greater than 114, the HH is eligible for
Crisis.
73
RPW
If Payment per Vendor is higher than bill, HH
is not eligible
If annual consumption data is unavailable, enter
the vendor name and an estimated annual energy
cost