Utility bill assistance programs from the government, utility companies and charities
A past-due electric, gas or heating bill does not have to end in a shutoff. The government funds LIHEAP, a grant program that pays energy bills directly. Utility companies offer their own customers payment plans, reduced rates and hardship funds. Charities such as the Salvation Army or a local fuel fund or church may provide emergency money when a disconnection is only days away.
This page will help you understand how each type of utility assistance works - what it covers, who tends to qualify and where to apply - with links to programs in every state. The help covers electric, gas, heating fuel, water and even phone or internet service. If you just need a local number to call or agency to find, the directory of utility assistance programs lists contacts by state and utility company.
Government utility assistance - LIHEAP, weatherization and shutoff protections
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is the main government program for utility bills. It is federally funded, runs in every state and pays grant money straight to your utility company - the help does not need to be paid back. Some states call it something else, such as HEAP or EAP, but it is the same program. There are two parts.
The regular grant helps with heating or cooling bills during a set season each year, and a separate crisis grant moves faster - sometimes within a day or two - for households facing a disconnection or running out of heating fuel. Funding is limited and runs out, so apply as early in the season as your state allows.
The section on LIHEAP by state explains where to apply in your area, and there are more details on the emergency LIHEAP crisis program. The federal government also runs an official LIHEAP information page at https://acf.gov/ocs/programs/liheap, or you can call the National Energy Assistance Referral line at 1-866-674-6327 to find your local application office.
While LIHEAP pays this month's bill, the Weatherization Assistance Program lowers every bill after it. The government pays for free energy-saving improvements to the homes of income-qualified families - insulation, sealing air leaks, and in some cases bigger jobs. Related grant programs can cover a free window replacement for an older home or the repair or replacement of a furnace, HVAC or heating system that has stopped working. To understand what the work involves and how to apply, start with the guide to the weatherization assistance program.
The government also limits when your power can legally be turned off. Most states ban disconnections during the coldest winter months or extreme summer heat, and many add protections for seniors, households with young children, or anyone with a doctor's note showing a medical need for electricity. These rules will not pay the bill, but they buy time to get help. Check the utility disconnection laws in your state before assuming a shutoff is unavoidable. If service has already been turned off, there are programs that help get utilities turned back on with little or no money, including help with reconnection fees and deposits.
Phone and internet bills have their own government program. Lifeline gives income-qualified households a monthly discount on phone or internet service, and some participating companies offer free cell phones or basic plans through it. Learn how to apply on the page about telephone and internet assistance programs.
Help from your utility company - payment plans, lower rates and hardship funds
The fastest help often comes from the company that sends the bill, and you usually need to do nothing more than call the customer service number on it. Any customer can ask for a payment plan that spreads a past-due balance over several months, or for budget billing, which averages your usage so winter and summer bills stop spiking. Neither requires being low income.
For income-qualified customers there is more. Many companies offer discounted rates, and some states require utilities to offer plans that cap your bill at a share of your household income, no matter how much energy you use. Companies also run hardship funds - grant money, often distributed through a nonprofit partner, for customers facing disconnection - and some will erase part of an old balance through utility bill forgiveness programs. The full list of assistance programs from utility companies, organized by state, shows what each provider offers.
Some of this help is seasonal or tied to one type of bill. Hot-weather states run summer electric bill and cooling assistance, and programs give away free air conditioners or fans to seniors and people with medical conditions. Cold-weather states focus on help with heating bills, including but not limited too free heating oil and fuel for households that heat with deliverable fuels. Water is different - help with water bills comes mostly from water companies' own payment plans and discounts, along with local charities.
Charities and nonprofits that pay utility bills
When government funds are gone or you do not qualify, charities may fill the gap. Community action agencies are usually the best first stop - these local nonprofits take LIHEAP applications in most areas, run their own emergency utility funds, and can tell you in one phone call what else exists in your county. Find your local office through the page on community action agencies. Dialing 211 or visiting 211.org (they have a dedicated page about utility help at https://www.211.org/get-help/utilities-expenses) works the same way - a free referral line that knows which local charities currently have utility money available.
Several charity-run fuel funds operate at a larger scale. The Dollar Energy Fund provides hardship grants for electric, gas, water and other utility bills in a limited number of states, usually in partnership with the utility itself. Operation Round Up collects spare change from electric co-op members and turns it into grants for neighbors' bills and other basic needs. The Salvation Army runs emergency utility assistance from many of its centers, often funded by donations made through the utility companies themselves, and churches that may be near you often try to offer smaller one-time payments toward a bill in a crisis. Charity money tends to be partial and first come, first served, so call before assuming funds are available.
Two more resources round out this section. If a shutoff seems illegal or unfair - say a company is disconnecting someone with a documented medical need - free legal advice from nonprofit law firms can stop it. Since the cheapest bill is a smaller one, the guide on how to save money on utility bills covers no-cost ways to cut usage while you wait on an application.
Utility assistance programs by state
Much of what is described on this page varies by where you live, because many states set their own LIHEAP rules, disconnection laws and company requirements. The state pages below list the utility companies operating in each state along with the specific assistance each one offers - payment plans, hardship funds, rate discounts and more - plus state government programs.
Remember that company programs follow the service: a page may list separate gas, electric and water providers for your area. For contact details organized by company, the directory of utility assistance by state or utility company is the companion resource to this guide.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Need more information on utility bill assistance? Or participate in the moderated community forum?
If you are facing a crisis and need emergency or longer-term help with utility bills, send an email to [email protected] and include your state and county - that information is needed to point you to accurate local options. You can also read first-hand experiences and share resources with people across the country in the forum discussing utility bill assistance.
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