[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 24, Volume 4]

[Revised as of April 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 24CFR965.505]



[Page 476]

 

                 TITLE 24--HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

 

CHAPTER IX--OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING, 

               DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

 

PART 965_PHA-OWNED OR LEASED PROJECTS_GENERAL PROVISIONS--Table of 

Contents

 

               Subpart E_Resident Allowances for Utilities

 

Sec.  965.505  Standards for allowances for utilities.



    (a) The objective of a PHA in designing methods of establishing 

utility allowances for each dwelling unit category and unit size shall 

be to approximate a reasonable consumption of utilities by an energy-

conservative household of modest circumstances consistent with the 

requirements of a safe, sanitary, and healthful living environment.

    (b) Allowances for both PHA-furnished and resident-purchased 

utilities shall be designed to include such reasonable consumption for 

major equipment or for utility functions furnished by the PHA for all 

residents (e.g., heating furnace, hot water heater), for essential 

equipment whether or not furnished by the PHA (e.g., range and 

refrigerator), and for minor items of equipment (such as toasters and 

radios) furnished by residents.

    (c) The complexity and elaborateness of the methods chosen by the 

PHA, in its discretion, to achieve the foregoing objective will depend 

upon the nature of the housing stock, data available to the PHA and the 

extent of the administrative resources reasonably available to the PHA 

to be devoted to the collection of such data, the formulation of methods 

of calculation, and actual calculation and monitoring of the allowances.

    (d) In establishing allowances, the PHA shall take into account 

relevant factors affecting consumption requirements, including:

    (1) The equipment and functions intended to be covered by the 

allowance for which the utility will be used. For instance, natural gas 

may be used for cooking, heating domestic water, or space heating, or 

any combination of the three;

    (2) The climatic location of the housing projects;

    (3) The size of the dwelling units and the number of occupants per 

dwelling unit;

    (4) Type of construction and design of the housing project;

    (5) The energy efficiency of PHA-supplied appliances and equipment;

    (6) The utility consumption requirements of appliances and equipment 

whose reasonable consumption is intended to be covered by the total 

resident payment;

    (7) The physical condition, including insulation and weatherization, 

of the housing project;

    (8) Temperature levels intended to be maintained in the unit during 

the day and at night, and in cold and warm weather; and

    (9) Temperature of domestic hot water.

    (e) If a PHA installs air conditioning, it shall provide, to the 

maximum extent economically feasible, systems that give residents the 

option of choosing to use air conditioning in their units. The design of 

systems that offer each resident the option to choose air conditioning 

shall include retail meters or checkmeters, and residents shall pay for 

the energy used in its operation. For systems that offer residents the 

option to choose air conditioning, the PHA shall not include air 

conditioning in the utility allowances. For systems that offer residents 

the option to choose air conditioning but cannot be checkmetered, 

residents are to be surcharged in accordance with Sec.  965.506. If an 

air conditioning system does not provide for resident option, residents 

are not to be charged, and these systems should be avoided whenever 

possible.