A vendor must sign an agreement with the department, which includes the following conditions, for the vendor to be a recipient of heating assistance payments in the manner described in 7 AAC 44.050:

1. (1) the vendor shall apply all heating assistance payments to energy services or deliveries supplied after October 1 of the program year unless the payment is being used to prevent a disconnection of service or to reconnect service to the eligible household;
2. (2) the vendor may not discriminate against a household receiving heating assistance in the cost of goods, conditions of sale, or services provided;
3. (3) the vendor shall avert disconnection of service, reconnect discontinued service, or deliver fuel upon notification from the department that a household is entitled to receive heating assistance, unless to do so would violate a tariff of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska;
4. (4) if the vendor is receiving payment under 7 AAC 44.050(a)(1), the vendor shall first submit a bill for services to the department;

5. (5) if the vendor receives payment under 7 AAC 44.050(a)(2), the vendor shall submit proof to the department that each payment is credited to the household; a refund of any remaining heating assistance must be made to the household or to the department for delivery to the household if

   1. (A) the household closes its account with the vendor;
   2. (B) the applicant dies and no surviving household member continues to use the account; or
   3. (C) a credit has been sitting on the customer's account for more than one year.

(Eff. 1/24/80, Register 73; am 12/23/80, Register 77; am 5/21/81, Register 78; am 6/2/82, Register 82; am 6/30/83, Register 86; am 11/1/89, Register 112; am 12/22/94, Register 132; am 10/1/99, Register 151; am 10/1/2009, Register 191; am 12/27/2017, Register 224)

Authority: AS 47.05.010