program ally guide to paperwork -...

ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS

Home Efficiency Program Income-Qualified Program Ally Guide to Paperwork

Ameren Illinois HEPIQ Program Ally How-to-Guide v2.0 | June 28, 2017 2

Guide Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 3

HEPIQ Program Workflow Description .................................................................................... 4

HEPIQ Team Personnel .......................................................................................................... 4

HEPIQ Process Flow ............................................................................................................... 4

Customer Qualification......................................................................................................... 4

Application for Financing ...................................................................................................... 6

Work Scope Submittal and Approval Process ...................................................................... 7

Incentive Application Submittal and Approval Process ......................................................... 8

Post-Completion Inspections and Quality Control ................................................................ 9

Glossary ................................................................................................................................ 10


Introduction

This document is intended to serve as a “how-to” guide for Program Allies to assist in understanding

the program workflow. It is the intent to update and modify this document, as needed, to reflect the

most current program policy, processes, and procedures. Your suggestions and comments on

improvements to this guide are always welcome.


HEPIQ Program Workflow Description HEPIQ TEAM PERSONNEL

Program Manager, Directed Residential Programs (PDM) Jenny George

Deputy Program Manager, Residential Programs (DPPM) Julia Sander

Program Manager (PM) Dave Beaulieu

Account Managers (AM) Kerry Roth, Steve Gwinn, Brian Stewart, John Carroll, Robert Rusteberg

Energy Advisors (Auditors, QC inspectors) Ryan Towle, Scott Mellican, Frank Peters, Travis Crocker, Micaela Solomon, Ben White

Technical Reviewers (TR) Jim Johnson, Scott Marner, Wade Morehead (TR Manager)

Home Efficiency Specialist (HES) Team Stacey Appell, Misty Smith, Marcia King, Micheal Edwards, Susan Hayes (Supervisor)

Administration (Admin) Emily Goldensoph

Customer Service (CS) Jen Wang

HEPIQ PROCESS FLOW

Customer Qualification:

1. Customers must qualify for HEPIQ by submitting an application and other documentation

supporting their eligibility. In order to allow for the best possible customer experience, there are

several “paths” a customer may take when applying to the program:

a. Complete the Home Efficiency Program Income-Qualified Application and provide

supporting documentation. This document is a form-fillable PDF, which is the preferred

method (vs. handwritten applications). The application may be found here;

b. Complete a “full” online application. Supporting documentation may be uploaded as part

of the online application process. The online application may be accessed here;

http://amerenillinoissavings.com/for-my-home/explore-incentives/home-efficiency-program/income-qualified-incentives



c. Complete the “shortˮ online application. This application only collects basic customer

information, allowing the HES team to contact the customer and assist them in

completing the qualification process. The short online application may be accessed here;

d. Customers may call the HES team directly to apply at 1.866.838.6918 or send an email

request to [email protected]

Applications and supporting documentation may be scanned and emailed, faxed, or mailed,

depending on the customer’s preference. Program Allies are encouraged to assist customers in

submitting program applications if requested by the customer, but should refrain from handling

documents with Personally Identifiable Information (e.g. Social Security numbers).

Note: The name on the customer application must match the name on the proof of home

ownership, and must match the primary name (first on account) on the Ameren account.

If a mismatch exists, please ask the homeowner to contact the HES team directly to resolve

the mismatch.

Including the term Ameren in the subject line of the email may be helpful in avoiding email

filtering issues. All email sent to the Residential EE Apps inbox will receive an automated reply

confirming that the message was received. If you do not receive this email confirmation reply

message, please contact Emily Goldensoph.

2. The HES team will work directly with the customer to determine if the customer is eligible and

will notify the customer and Program Ally, as appropriate. For qualifying customers, the HES

team will serve as the program’s point of contact for the customer and assist them throughout

the process and project. Depending on the source of the customer referral, the HES team will

do one of the following:

a. Customers referred by CORE Program Allies – The HES team will notify both the

customer and the CORE Ally of the customer’s eligibility. The CORE Ally will then be

responsible for contacting the customer, performing an audit, installing direct install

measures (e.g. bulbs), and writing a cost-effective work scope.

b. Customers referred by non-CORE Program Allies – The HES team will conduct income

screening and determine if the customer’s income is considered “moderate” or “low”.

Low-income customers will be provided with a program audit conducted by an Energy

Advisor. Any “sold” work resulting from the program audit will be completed by the


mailto:[email protected]


referring Program Ally. The Energy Advisor will work to coordinate with HVAC and

Envelope Allies, as necessary. Moderate-income customers will be referred back to the

Ally to perform an audit and develop the work scope.

c. Customers referred by HVAC Program Allies – All customers referred by HVAC Allies

will receive a program audit by an Energy Advisor. A work scope will be developed and

any “sold” HVAC work will be offered to the referring HVAC Ally. If envelope work is

considered appropriate, the Energy Advisor will coordinate with an Envelope Ally to

perform the work. Customers will be presented with a list of Allies that service their

particular zip code. If a customer does not select an Ally from the list, the project will be

assigned to the Envelope Allies on a “round-robin” basis. Initially, the list will be ordered

alphabetically and include all Allies in good standing with the program. Should a

particular Ally prove unresponsive and deliver poor customer service, assignment of

work to that Ally may be reduced or eliminated as forfeiture.

d. Non-referred customers – Customers not referred by a Program Ally will be provided

with a program audit. Any resulting “sold” work will be made available to Allies on a

“round-robin” basis.

Application for Financing

Ameren customers can contact Renew Financial to apply for program financing either online or by

phone. Please encourage the customers to have their Ameren account number ready when they apply,

and ask them to list you as their contractor on the application. Renew Financial may be contacted at

888.269.3133 and the online application is available here.

After completing the online application and being pre-approved, Renew may contact the customer to

secure additional information before final approval. Prior to loan agreements being issued, Renew will

await work scope authorization from the program Technical Review Team (see Work Scope Submittal

and Approval Process below).

Renew maintains an online Program Ally portal, which allows direct access and downloading of loan

agreements and documents. As a Program Ally, you are encouraged to access and use the Renew

portal to expedite loan agreement processing and funding. Please contact Renew Financial directly to

obtain access to the Ally portal.

https://applications.afcfirst.com/applications/amerenillinois


Work Scope Submittal and Approval Process (Incentive Reservation Request)

1. Once a work scope has been developed, it is expected that Program Allies will submit a work

scope to the program for approval, prior to entering a contract with the homeowner, and

submit the following documentation to the program:

a. The electronic version (.xlsx) of the Combined Work Scope/Incentive Application.

Acceptable file types are Excel Workbook(.xlsx);

b. A completed Work Scope/Incentive Application signed by both the customer and

Program Ally (with signatures on the “Work Scope” line only). This document should be

generated by printing the completed “WS-IncApp” tab of the Combined Work

Scope/Incentive Application workbook (.xlsx). Acceptable file types are native PDF or

scans of hardcopy documents in PDF format;

c. If HVAC work is being specified, please submit block heating and/or cooling load

calculations for the home (ACCA approved Manual J Report). Submittal of Manual S, D,

T, and/or room-by-room load calculations is not required, but should be performed as

necessary to ensure proper operation of HVAC equipment. Acceptable file types are

native PDF or scans of hardcopy documents in PDF format;

d. AHRI Certificate for any and all proposed HVAC equipment specified. Acceptable file

types are native PDF or scans of hardcopy documents in PDF format;

e. Energy Audit Inspection Disclaimer Form, if applicable. Acceptable file types are native

PDF or scans of hardcopy documents in PDF format; and

f. Any additional information, photos, or notes describing any unusual situations,

construction types, or treatment plans. If known, please indicate if the customer plans to utilize OBF (On-Bill Financing). This type of information is not required, but

may help expedite the project review process. Please include this sort of information in

the notes section of the Excel workbook and not in the email submission.

g. Copy of the Direct Install Measures Form (if applicable).

2. All above documentation must be to be submitted to: Ameren Residential EE Apps

([email protected]).

3. Upon receipt, the Technical Review Team will review the technical merits of the work scope and

determine if the project appears to be cost effective and will result in a reasonable return on

investment for the customer. If an OBF loan is requested, the program may contact the



customer to confirm that they are comfortable with the loan payment and project. The Technical

Reviewer will also reach out to the Program Ally(s) if information is missing or a measure

appears inappropriate.

4. Work may commence once the work scope is approved and notification is sent to Renew

Financial and the Program Ally by the Technical Review Team. If all documentation requested

above has been provided, no additional documentation needs to be provided to Renew at this

time. Based on the authorized work scope received from the Technical Review Team, Renew

will generate a loan agreement for the customer, ideally prior to work commencing. To minimize

trips to the customer site, Program Allies are encouraged to have work crews obtain customer

signatures on loan documents the day of the install.

5. Enter into contract with the customer. Contract costs and program incentive values must match

values submitted on the Work Scope/Incentive Application. If upgraded measures or services

are offered, these costs must be broken out separately and will not be eligible for program

incentives or financing.

6. Change orders – If any changes are necessary to the scope of the project after it has been

approved, please contact the Technical Reviewers to discuss. If a material or equipment change

(e.g. brand, make, model) is occurring, submission of a new work scope may be required.

Incentive Application Submittal and Approval Process

1. Once the work is completed, submit the following documentation to the program:

a. A Combined Work Scope/Incentive Application signed by both the customer and

Program Ally (with signatures now on both “Work Scopeˮ and “Incentivesˮ). Acceptable

file types are native PDF or scans of hardcopy documents in PDF format. Submission of

the Excel (.xlsx) file is not required. However, the Excel workbook should be used to

generate the file submitted;

b. Customer contract/proposal signed by the customer and authorized representative of

Program Ally (see glossary for description of this document). Acceptable file types are

native PDF or scans of hardcopy documents in PDF format (NOTE: Please do not

submit an invoice); and

c. Test-out forms (if applicable). Acceptable file types are native Excel, PDF, or scans of

hardcopy documents in PDF format.

2. Please submit the above documentation to: [email protected]



3. Once received, the Technical Review Team will conduct a technical review and compare the

completed documentation to the original work scope.

4. Upon approval of the incentive request, the Technical Review Team will provide notice to the

Program Ally and, if applicable, Renew Financial. Renew Financial will fund the loan based on

notification by the program. No additional information need be submitted by the Program Ally to

Renew. Certain projects require post-completion inspections prior to authorization of incentives

and loan funding (see below).

IMPORTANT: As specified above, please submit all initial documentation related to the Work Scope Submittal and Approval Process or the Incentive Application Submittal and Approval Process to the Ameren Residential EE Apps inbox. Once the project review process has begun, you will be notified by the Technical Reviewer assigned to the project. Please direct all communication related to the project to the Technical Reviewer assigned by replying directly via email.

The most recent versions of all documents described above may be found here.

Post-Completion Inspections and Quality Control

Certain projects will require in-field inspection prior to funding of incentives and loan payouts. The

following describes several conditions that may require a post-completion inspection.

1. Project selected for Quality Control verification – A minimum of 10% of projects completed in the

HEPIQ program require in-field inspection to ensure program compliance and verification of

installed measures.

2. Non-CORE Ally close out – For customers who had work completed by non-CORE Allies and

did not receive lighting and low-flow device upgrades. These inspections provide additional

savings to customers and the opportunity to verify compliance with work scope. A complete,

instrumented QC inspection may be performed during this site visit.

3. HVAC-only test out – For customers who were referred to the program by HVAC Allies and did

not have envelope work performed, a program Energy Advisor will conduct a test out to assure

that the project conforms to BPI standards. A complete, instrumented QC inspection may also

be performed during this site visit.

http://amerenillinoissavings.com/for-contractors/residential-forms-library


GLOSSARY

Work Scope/Incentive Application: An HEPIQ program-specific document available in Excel (PDF

versions of this form are being phased out). Used by Program Allies to reserve project incentives when

submitting work scopes for eligibility screening and to claim project incentives upon completion.

Contract/Proposal: A Program Ally-specific document describing the scope, costs, terms, and

conditions of the work, which is executed by the customer. Required for all home improvement work in

Illinois valued at $1,000 or more and should contain the following elements:

• the contractor's full name, address, and telephone number;

• a description of the work to be performed;

• a detailed list of all materials, including product, color, model, size, and brand name;

• the total cost for work performed, including charges for estimates and additional labor;

• all oral promises made by the contractor in writing;

• a description of how change orders will be handled;

• starting and estimated completion dates;

• a schedule and method of payment, including down payment, subsequent payments, and final

payment;

• written guarantees if the contractor warrants his or her work and product;

• any and all standard Terms and Conditions (e.g. Act of God, Force Majeure, Right to Rescind).

Additionally, for any home repair or remodeling contract over $1,000, all contractors engaging in the

business of home repair and remodeling is required in Illinois to provide the customer with a copy of the

“Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rightsˮ pamphlet available from the state attorney general's

website.

Invoice: Statement of costs and amounts owed by the customer for work performed.

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