How do most people suggest you cut utility costs to make more room in your budget? By cutting back on usage. In other words, they suggest you do things that can make home life a lot less comfortable, such as:
- Not using your AC or heater so much.
- Taking fewer showers.
- Flushing the toilet less often.
Are making such moves the only way to make your utilities more affordable? No, as you can get help from the government and charities to pay at least a portion of your bills.
Will you have to make below a certain income to be eligible for most utility assistance programs? Probably, but even if you don’t think you make the cut, do the following to see where you stand.
Who knows? You may qualify for a government assistance program that can give you money towards your bills, so you have some much-needed breathing room.
How to Get Help Paying Your Utility Bills
There are several ways to find government assistance programs that focus on utilities, but visiting this link may be the best of the bunch.
Once there, you’ll see a drop-down list of states, plus a list of direct links to state energy assistance applications.
Use the drop-down menu to pick your state. On your state’s page, depending on where you live, you may see different options for low-income energy programs that are separated as:
- Federal
- State
- Utility
- Charitable
The primary federal program is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). It offers help with paying your heating and cooling costs in two main ways:
Paying the heating/cooling cost portion of your monthly energy bill.
Improving your home to make it more energy-efficient through “weatherization.”
This program can offer significant benefits now and later on. Should you qualify, you could get monthly help with your energy bill, plus home improvements to seal/insulate your house, or replace your AC or furnace.
You should see links on your state’s page to find local LIHEAP contacts so you can begin the application process.
Beyond LIHEAP, your state may have a utility assistance program of its own. Look below that, and you should see plenty of utility programs from local governments and charities, along with their contact information.
As an example, here’s a tiny sampling what you can find if you live in Florida and need help with paying your utility bills:
- Good Neighbor Program (Tallahassee) – Free ceiling insulation, hot water leak repair, and heating and cooling system repair.
- SHARE (Tampa) – Pays for basic home energy expenses.
- Care to Share Program (Florida Power & Light Company) – Offers up to $500 of electric service per year.
- Project Care (Lakeland Electric) – Helps the disabled and those 60 or over with paying their electric bills.
Have a look at your state’s page to see what they have to offer. If you need more help, you can also call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline. Their number is 1-866-674-6327.
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