§ 2607 - Payments to fuel suppliers
§ 2607. Payments to fuel suppliers
(a) The director shall certify fuel suppliers to be eligible to participate in the home heating fuel assistance program, and beneficiaries may obtain assistance for fuel deliveries only from a fuel supplier certified by the director.
(b) Certified fuel suppliers shall agree to conduct reasonable efforts in order to inform and assist beneficiaries in their service areas, maintain records of amounts and costs of all fuel deliveries, send periodic statements to customers receiving home heating fuel assistance informing them of their account's credit or debit balance as of the last statement, deliveries or usage since that statement and the charges for such, payments made or applied, indicating their source, since that statement, and the ending credit or debit balance. Certified fuel suppliers shall also agree to provide the director such information deemed necessary for the efficient administration of the program.
(c) Certified fuel suppliers shall not disclose the beneficiary status of recipients of home heating fuel assistance benefits, the names of recipients, or other information pertaining to recipients to anyone, except for purposes directly connected with administration of the home heating fuel assistance program or when required by law.
(d) A supplier of wood fuel may be certified by the director only if the supplier is, in the normal course of business, a supplier of wood fuel; maintains a Social Security number or a federal tax identification number for such business; and provides that number to the director.
(e) Certified fuel suppliers shall also agree to enter into budget agreements with beneficiaries for annualized monthly payments for fuel supplies provided the beneficiary meets accepted industry credit standards, and shall grant program beneficiaries such cash discounts, preseason delivery savings, automatic fuel delivery agreements, and any other discounts granted to any other heating fuel customer.
(f) The office of home heating fuel assistance shall provide each certified fuel supplier with a list of the households who are its customers and have been found eligible for annual home heating fuel assistance for the current year, the total amount of annual home heating fuel assistance that has been authorized for each household, and how the total amount has been allocated over the heating season. Each authorized amount shall function as a line of credit for each eligible household. The office of home heating fuel assistance shall disburse authorized home heating fuel assistance benefits to certified fuel suppliers on behalf of eligible households in accordance with the allocation schedule.
(g) In the event that on April 30 of any year a credit balance exists in a certified fuel supplier's account for a household that has received annual home heating fuel assistance during the previous 12 months, that certified fuel supplier is required to pay the amount of this credit balance to the office of home heating fuel assistance no later than May 31 of the same year.
(h) The director shall negotiate with one or more certified fuel suppliers to obtain the most advantageous pricing and, payment terms, and delivery methods possible for eligible households. (Added 1995, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 10, 1996; amended 1999, No. 59, § 6, eff. June 1, 1999; 2005, No. 93 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 38, 126c, eff. March 3, 2006.)