Heat-ON
Delaware Strong
What It's All About
The Heat-ON program is designed to provide eligible low-income Delaware homeowners with a customized set of free services that match each household’s needs. Those services include the following:
- Heating Equipment Assessment and Services
The status of the heating equipment is assessed, and equipment is repaired or replaced as needed, for all program - Healthy Homes Assessment and Services
The status of the housing unit and household is assessed on specific Healthy Homes indicators, and services are provided to address potential hazards or deficiencies in the home, for a subset of all - LIHEAP Assurance 16 Services
Staff enroll a subset of clients in an energy education program and provide services to encourage clients to reduce the amount of energy they use and to improve the household’s ability to maintain their energy
The Goals
The Heat-ON program has multiple goals, including restoring energy service lost due to inoperable main heating equipment, preventing the loss of energy service through the repair of malfunctioning equipment and providing nonenergy benefits to clients (e.g., improved home comfort, safety and health).
However, one important program goal is for households to achieve reductions in energy usage. The program targets replacing original heating systems with higher-efficiency equipment, providing all participants with energy-saving measures during the initial site inspection, and enrolling a subset of households in the Assurance 16 Energy Education Program to receive personalized education, group workshop energy education sessions when permissible, and the provision of energy materials and information.
While some households will experience immediate increases in energy usage for their primary heating fuel, due to the repair or replacement of a unit that was not functioning or being used correctly, it is expected that a subset of households will have reduced main heating usage after program participation. Most households should also have reduced long-term baseload electric usage, due to a reduction in the use of electric supplemental space heaters, the installation of energy-saving measures and the actions taken in response to Heat-ON energy education.
ENERGY EDUCATION
The HELP Initiative’s health and safety lesson plans are interactive and last about one hour. Tailored to the attendees, the educational session provides:
- Health and safety education
- DIY tips to avoid home hazards and improve quality of life
- An overview of the available financial support programs in the state
- Information on the replacement or repair of inefficient or unsafe heaters
- Information on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Information on Delaware’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
HEALTHY HOMES ASSESSMENTS
The Healthy Homes Evaluator who conducts the assessments for clients’ homes is certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) and has successfully passed the Healthy Housing Principles certification. The evaluator will:
- Explain the Health-ON Delaware Strong program and assessment process
- Explain the 29 home hazards
- Provide one-on-one client education on healthy home upgrade opportunities
- Identify any health and safety hazards, and make recommendations based on findings
- Educate clients on energy-efficiency and/or financing programs that are available through Energize Delaware
- Provide energy-efficiency and Healthy Homes findings resulting from the heat and health assessments
Contact Us
Are you interested in participating in or learning more about the Heat-ON Delaware Strong program? Simply complete the form below, and we will respond quickly. Or contact our call center Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., to speak with a knowledgeable representative who can provide you with full program details, qualifications and eligibility criteria, and income requirements.
Call 833-888-0410 or 302-672-0778.