PHOENIX — For nearly a month, Arizonans have lived through record-breaking heat. With rare exceptions, the power has remained on, keeping many from sweating inside their homes.
There is a cost to this, however, and customers are beginning to find out how expensive the heat is going to be.
While the thermostat is set to 80 degrees, the air conditioner is running nonstop in many Ahwatukee homes.
ABC15's Mark Phillips received his first estimate for his monthly bill on July 10 — it was $365. A week later a new estimate came in — it rose to $390.
On Monday, he received the July bill — a total of $410 to keep himself and his dog comfortable.
In the weeks to come, electricity may be a luxury many people will have trouble affording.
"We have our usual people who are under the 200% of poverty line. We have some who aren't under the poverty line who are just going through a hard time during these hot summer months," said Airea Padilla, the Utility Assistance Program coordinator for Chicanos Por La Causa.
Chicanos Por La Causa has helped 886 people who needed assistance with their electric bills.
Over the weekend, the organization had to abruptly cancel an event because it exhausted nearly all the funds dedicated to helping pay those bills. Padilla says there are a lot of people looking for help.
"If the grant was currently still available, we would keep going until we ran out again. I think that number would be extremely high."
Many service organizations worry families who live paycheck to paycheck may earn too much money to be eligible for help.
Padilla advises to not let that stop you from asking.
"I would still recommend reaching out to us," she said, "there are other grants and community assistance programs that are not based off your income."
Arizona Public Service (APS) and Salt River Project (SRP) offer financial assistance options.
APS urges customers who are struggling with overdue bills to contact them directly so the utility can work with them. APS adheres to Arizona Corporation rules and does not disconnect past-due residential accounts through mid-October.
SRP says it will work with customers to avoid disconnections throughout the year, and it also works with customers who are struggling with overdue bills. SRP will not disconnect for nonpayment for customers on the Economy Price Plan through August. They will also not disconnect any customer for nonpayment through July or during an Excessive Heat Warning issued by the National Weather Service.
