Utility Assistance Near Me

Finding help with utilities is on many people’s minds as of late, as inflation has made everything more costly. As your rent, food, gas, and other expenses go up, paying every bill becomes more challenging, and utilities are no exception.

If you need proof that you are not alone in your search for help with utilities, know this: Google trends show that searches for “utility assistance near me” have exploded recently. As for how to get such help, we have you covered with the following tips.

Outline: Tips To Get Utilities Assistance:

• Utilities Assistance Through Your Provider
• Emergency Utility Assistance Through 211
• Help With Utilities Through LIHEAP
• Utility Help Through Your Local Community Action Agency
• Utilities Help From TANF
• Utilities Assistance From The Affordable Connectivity Program

Tips To Get Utilities Assistance

Whether you need help with your electricity, water, or Internet bills, the following tips can provide utility assistance in the short or long term.

Utilities Assistance Through Your Provider

Why do we list this tip first? Because when you need emergency utility assistance due to nonpayment and fear of a shutoff, calling your local utilities company first is the most logical move to make.

Contrary to popular belief, utilities companies can shut off your service if you have not paid your bill on time. Do they need to warn you ahead of time that you are on the verge of losing service?

Sure, but once they provide that warning, shutting off your lights, water, etc., is fair game.

Even worse, utility companies have the right to charge a deposit to get your service turned back on. What purpose does the deposit serve? It allows utility companies to use that cash to pay your bill if you do not. In other words, look at that deposit as an insurance policy against nonpayment.

It is worth noting that there are state laws that may protect you from utility shutoffs in exceptional circumstances. You can see your state’s disconnection laws by going here. For example, if frigid temperatures hit during the winter, your utility provider may be unable to disconnect service. This protection is in place to keep you from freezing to death. Does someone in your household depend on electricity to survive? If they do because they are seriously ill, disabled, elderly, or on life support, utility companies may not be able to shut off your service either. Lastly, you could be protected from utility shutoffs if you set up a payment plan in time. Call your utility company and let them know you are having financial troubles to see if they offer a payment plan that fits your budget. This lets you slowly pay off your debt while keeping your service connected.

Speaking of payment plans, you will probably be presented with two options when you call your provider to set one up. The first utility payment plan typically takes what you owe and adds it to future bills to give you a bit of breathing room until you fix your finances. The second utility payment plan helps you avoid the sticker shock of extremely high bills during summer or winter months that require extra cooling or heating in your home. This plan divides your yearly utility expenses by 12 to give you a sense of stability, so you know what to expect.

Emergency Utility Assistance Through 211

If you want emergency assistance of any kind – not just help with utilities – calling 211 may be your best bet. The three-digit phone number was created to help people in times of need. It does so by connecting you with a local operator that may help pay your utility bills so you can keep your services on and avoid disconnection.

211 is a great resource to call if you currently cannot afford your water, electric, gas, or Internet bills due to a medical emergency, job loss, decrease in income, etc. The 211 operator may help by connecting you to a local charity that offers bill-paying assistance for utilities, so you get that short-term help you need. Some charities that have helped pay utility bills in the past include the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and the Vincent de Paul Society. Your 211 operator may also direct you toward long-term utility assistance from the government or tell you about programs that can lead to lower bills in the future if you are trying to survive on a limited income.

When speaking to the 211 operator, feel free to ask for help beyond emergency utility assistance. They may also offer tips on where to find free food, housing assistance, help paying medical bills, and much more so you can get back on your feet as quickly as possible.

Help With Utilities Through LIHEAP

A popular government program that offers utility assistance is LIHEAP. That’s the short name for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which can offer short and long-term help with your utility bills. If you need emergency utility assistance because your service (not water or sewer) is about to be disconnected for nonpayment, LIHEAP may be able to help, depending on your situation. The program’s primary benefit, however, is that it can pay your cooling and heating costs to keep your monthly electricity bill as affordable as possible. Cooling and heating your home could cause your electric bill to skyrocket if you live in a place with an extreme climate, so knowing you have those costs covered is a huge reason to apply for LIHEAP benefits.

Are emergency utility bill assistance and heating and cooling cost coverage the only reasons to apply to LIHEAP? No, as the program also offers weatherization support to make your home more energy-efficient by adding insulation, properly sealing windows and doors, etc. In doing so, you can look forward to lower bills in the future. And if your heating or cooling equipment fails, you could avoid expensive replacement costs since LIHEAP could pay that bill for you, saving you thousands of dollars in the process.

Although LIHEAP is a utility help program from the federal government, its benefits come from your state. As such, you will need to apply to your nearest LIHEAP office to see if you qualify.

You can find that office by using the LIHEAP search tool. It will give you the option to search by your state, territory, or tribe.

You can also find the phone number for the Energy Assistance Hotline at that link, which functions from 9 am to 7 pm on weekdays. Call the line if you cannot pay your energy bill and need help before your lights get shut off. The Energy Assistance Hotline’s email address is also listed on that page. Contact it to get help with your utilities if you’d rather not call the hotline.

Ideally, everyone would qualify for LIHEAP, especially with cooling and heating costs increasing so much. Unfortunately, that is not the case, as LIHEAP is intended to help households in need who are struggling to stay afloat. Your local LIHEAP office will help determine your eligibility for the utility assistance program. They will do so by using information regarding your household income, family size, etc.

As you might imagine, LIHEAP applications are now through the roof since so many families need help paying their utility bills. Statistics show that only one in five qualified households receive LIHEAP benefits. To increase your chances of receiving those benefits, apply to LIHEAP now using the link above.

Utility Help Through Your Local Community Action Agency

Another way to get help paying utilities is through your nearest Community Action Agency. There are thousands of these agencies from coast to coast that are set up to help families with utility bills and other essentials needed for survival. Community Action Agencies have been around since 1964, so they know all the ins and outs of helping low-income households stay afloat.

Call your local Community Action Agency here to see if they offer utility bill assistance or if they can help you in any other way.

Utilities Help From TANF

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is what many refer to as welfare. While it is not a program that primarily exists to provide utility help, it can give you such assistance. How? By giving you cash to pay for expenses like utilities, housing, clothing, and food. Beyond the cash benefit, TANF also offers job training to help you get back on your feet and eventually become financially independent.

Go here to learn more about TANF eligibility requirements and how it can help with your utility expenses.

Utilities Assistance From The Affordable Connectivity Program

In the past, Internet was not widely considered a utility since it was viewed as more of a luxury.

Now, however, most homes need reliable Internet service to pay bills, complete school assignments, shop online, stay connected with others, and more. As such, Internet is a utility that we can no longer do without, which is why we included it in this list.

What can you do if you need emergency utility assistance to keep your Internet service connected when you cannot pay your bill? The most obvious move is to call your Internet service provider and explain the details of your current financial situation. For instance, if you lost your job or your boss reduced your hours at work, tell the Internet customer service representative that you may not be able to pay your bill right now. They may have a payment plan that is more budget-friendly, so your service stays connected, and you do not fall behind. And if you cannot pay your bill because you ordered an Internet plan that is now out of your budget, see if you can downgrade it to something more affordable.

If paying your Internet bill seems like it will be a struggle well into the future, apply to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). It’s a new government program run by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that makes Internet service more accessible for low-income families. Beyond that, the Affordable Connectivity Program can help you buy a computer or tablet to connect to the Internet.

The specific benefits of the ACP are as follows. As you can see, it can provide long-term utilities assistance, so your budget has breathing room in the future:

• $30 monthly discount on your Internet bill ($75 monthly if you live on Tribal lands)
• $100 discount (one time) on the purchase of a tablet, desktop computer, or laptop from participating providers

While that $30 monthly discount could undoubtedly make it easier to pay your Internet bill and avoid the need for emergency utility assistance later on, you may get free service if you pick an affordable plan fully covered by the ACP.

Does everyone qualify for long-term utilities assistance on their Internet bills through the Affordable Connectivity Program? No, as you will need a household income below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line to be eligible.

You could also automatically qualify for ACP benefits if someone in your household receives government assistance via another program like SSI, WIC, SNAP, Medicaid, public housing, the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, Federal Pell Grants, etc. Show documentation that you receive benefits from one of those programs, and that could be all you need to get affordable Internet and keep your monthly utility costs low. To learn more about getting help with utilities and your Internet bill through the ACP, go here.

If you do not qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program, don’t fret, as there may be other options for staying online without paying an arm and a leg. Here are some examples of low-cost Internet service that may fit your limited budget perfectly:

• AT&T Access
• Comcast Internet Essentials
• Connect 2 Compete
• EveryoneOn
• Verizon Lifeline

Each affordable Internet program varies in terms of cost, speed, and eligibility requirements.

Give all of them a look until you find one that fits your needs for connectivity and affordability.