Free air conditioner.
Low income families can get a free air conditioner from government assistance programs, churches or local charities. Get a free AC unit near you from an organization that gives them away, government programs including LIHEAP, or directly from utility companies. Find how to get a free air conditioner or repairs to an AC unit from the government or a charity near you.
Federal and state government assistance programs (including LIHEAP or weatherization) will often pay for a free AC system or the repairs to an air conditioning unit, whether central system or window unit. Or in some cases a window fan is provided. Another option will be a charity or non-profit, which may pass out free fans to cool a home or apartment. Or they giveaway free small to mid size air conditioners to the vulnerable including seniors or disabled people, or families who are in a crisis, including those who need it for medical or health needs. The main categories of A/C assistance include the following.
Note while it is possible to get help to pay for, or fix, an air conditioner, the availability of the services will depend on the funding levels or what has been donated. As charities have limited resources and government funding for programs such as LIHEAP and weatherization (among others) vary by year.
Charities that may provide free AC units or fans near you
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Salvation Army thrift stores or Family Service Programs may distribute a free window mounted air conditioner. Normally, these will be sold at a reduced price in the community, however seniors, families with young kids or those with a medical condition can often get a free air conditioner as the Salvation Army gives away an A/C unit to the vulnerable. The programs vary by location.
- Some of the centers near you may provide them for free to a low income family when there is a medical emergency. Therefore a Salvation Army Family Service center may give a window type air conditioner to a senior citizen or elderly member of the community. Or a single mother with a sick child at home may qualify for a cheap or free AC system. They are often the most at risk during the warm summer months.
An air conditioner unit from the Salvation Army can help eliminate that risk. Note these will normally be small, portable units that can be mounted in a bedroom window or another defined portion of the home. By no means will every local thrift store or center have them. Some may just have fans, but usually some form of assistance during the summer is available. Find help from Salvation Army.
Free AC systems are given out from many local Area Agency on Aging centers. They focus on help senior citizens who live on a fixed income as well as the disabled. The non-profit organizations often partner with local companies and HVAC companies to help at risk seniors stay cool, and a free air conditioner or repairs to one are often provided. Find details on help for seniors from Agency on Aging near you.
Other charities as well as churches that may be near you operate summer cooling programs. Some offer financial help, some charities loan out or giveaway window fans to low income seniors or the sick, and others may pass out air conditioners. Or they may have grants available that can be used to pay for the repair of an air conditioner. However some of the charities may ask for small donations to help offset the program costs.
- The application period for any summer assistance programs in will usually start in May and run through June or July. When it comes to a free air conditioner program, those are always in short supply and given on a first come and served basis by a local charity. Anyone in need of staying cool or that is facing an emergency or health risk needs to apply early. Find a listing of these charities that help with paying bills.
Free refurbished air conditioners are available from furniture banks as part of their appliance programs. As many help families that live in or near federal poverty levels. While a furniture banks will often focus on given out household stuff, many have appliances, standing AC units or fas, and other cooling equipment. Locate information on free home appliances from a charity near you, with many having used air conditioners too.
Local community action agencies, which have locations in most cities and counties, provide their own form of financial help. This includes applications to emergency grant money for getting an air conditioner and they also process applications to government benefits. These include LIHEAP or weatherization as well as other low-income electric bill assistance programs. Therefore a community action agency near you can be one of the best places to turn to for money to pay for an AC unit, fix one, or to apply for a free air conditioner as many of these places give away free government air conditioners. Get financial help from a community action agency.
How to get a free air conditioner from the government
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There are several places to turn to for applications to free AC units from the government or more information. These tend to be more seasonal in nature, with free government air conditioners, or vouchers to pay for one, provided during the late spring or summer months.
- Even after receiving an air conditioner or fan, many low income families need help paying the electric bills to keep it running during the summer. It does not help anyone if they have a system to keep their home or apartment cool but then just get a disconnection notice from their power company. So when applying for government benefit, also inquire into financial help at the same time. As there are also some statewide resources that help families with an income near poverty levels pay their cooling bills. Locate cooling and air conditioning bill assistance programs.
Federal government LIHEAP benefits help with air conditioners too. Note LIHEAP is administered by the states, so the program name will vary however it has a summer cooling component. Many utility companies and non-profits, including that may be in your state, help low-income families get help with an air conditioner during the summer from the summer LIHEAP program. Everyone from the disabled to low income families may be given a grant to pay for an AC unit, and look here for more details on the LIHEAP Clearinghouse. https://liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/search-tool/.
- LIHEAP provides both free units or repairs to an AC. This is the primary Health and Human Services as well as United State Department of Energy (DOE) program which helps with an air conditioner. It will not only provide a new unit to households that qualify, but it may even help repair an existing AC unit or the case managers can refer clients to a cheap air conditioner program near them. In fact, if the home already has a window or central AC unit that is not working, most states will require it to be fixed first. Only after that has been attempted will a new AC unit be given. Apply for LIHEAP near you.
Free emergency air conditioners are available from the government too as part of LIHEAP (or your state’s version). As there is a crisis component to LIHEAP that expedites the application process for people at risk, such as a frail elderly person or sick adult. The emergency component can pay for an air conditioner, and find details on crisis LIHEAP grants.
Or social services may have applications to benefit programs. TANF cash assistance can pay for basic needs, including an air conditioner unit, window or box fan and similar needs. Apply for cash assistance from the government.
Local organizations near you for a free air conditioner
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Whether the free government air conditioner programs are available in a certain community or not will depend on the rules and regulations for that particular state. It will also depend on how much money has been allocated to LIHEAP or TANF for the fiscal year, and this amount is set by Congress each year. While the terms may change over time, currently about over 40 states offer free air conditioning systems (or repairs) to very low income families.
Most of the programs noted above are national - meaning they provide free A/C units nationwide, in all regions. However people that live in certain states or cities have other options. The local programs that may be near you for a free air conditioner include the following. However, as noted above, other local programs exist too.
Atlanta GA area
Cincinnati OH area
Delaware
El Paso County TX
Kansas City MO area
Las Vegas
Louisville
Myrtle Beach and Conway SC area
New York State
Oklahoma
Omaha NE area
Pennsylvania
Raleigh NC area
Tennessee
Texas
Conclusion
In addition to a free A/C unit program listed above, most states also have regulations that protect the vulnerable from having their electricity shut off during a heat wave. Oftentimes if the temperature in the states goes above a certain number of degrees, the utility company can't turn off the electric service for someone that is sick, disabled, or above a certain age limit. This will allow the household to keep their power on so they can continue to run their air conditioner. There are numerous laws to prevent utility disconnections from taking place during the year.
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