PHOENIX — The extreme heat isn’t letting up anytime soon. Air conditioning units are working overdrive through this and that means electric bills can be pricier.
Several Arizona agencies and organizations are offering energy and utility assistance, but some of them have limitations.
It’s important to remember that APS and SRP do not shut off power during extreme heat with a moratorium in place. However, they do still charge on those days.
Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army says it has seen an increase in people reaching out for utility assistance. Michele Kirkpatrick, the emergency assistance program and outreach manager, told ABC15 more people in the month of July this year asked for help compared to July 2022.
One of their programs does not have an income limit and it’s more on a crisis basis.
“That means if you’ve lost income in the last 90 days, you’ve lost your job or had a reduction of hours, you’re on some type of medical leave, that is a qualifier,” Kirkpatrick said, adding that it could just be any out of pocket expense that could devastate your budget.
Kirkpatrick said the organization also has a program where they help people with fixed incomes.
“Those are people that don’t necessarily meet the criteria for the job loss or out-of-pocket expense, but we’re not only able to help them but give them a credit toward to get them through the summer,” Kirkpatrick said. “We don’t want them to have to choose between their electricity or their medicine, because the medicine is probably going to come first.”
Take a look at their utility assistance and other programs here.
Maricopa County Human Services Department:
Jacqueline Edwards, the director of the Maricopa County Human Services Department, says the county offers a utility assistance program that can help provide up to $1,500 per month for a household that could be in crisis.
There are income limits for this program with more information here.
While the Salvation Army is seeing an increase, Edwards said they are holding steady for year-after-year numbers on calls for help. They, as well as other local agencies, do see a lot of calls coming in on the first of the month when those utility bills come out.
“We recommend for all households to take a look at their utility bills and contact their utility company to make sure they’re on the best plan that is suitable for their household’s needs and that they get the best rates possible,” Edwards said.
APS:
Arizona Public Service Company, or APS, has several programs to help with energy usage and payment assistance.
Jim Holbrook, the supervisor of customer assistance solutions, said they have two main programs.
One is a monthly discount called the Energy Support Program which gives customers a 25% discount on their bills. For those who need critical life support equipment, that discount is at 35%.
It is given out on a basis of income, which is also applied to the next program called the APS Crisis Bill Assistance program.
Holbrook said the program helps people who are behind on their bills.
“We've had more people looking into crisis bill assistance because some of the COVID era programs that used to help people pay their bills are starting to wind down,” Holbrook said.
APS said it will also work with customers on payment plans if they are in need.
SRP:
The Salt River Project, or SRP, has an economy price plan that helps save customers $23 a month, which would translate to nearly $280 a year. There are household income requirements for this plan.
The power company has different price plans that can help lower costs at certain parts of the day.
For more information on other programs and partnerships SRP has to help reduce costs, click here.
Others:
There is also a low-income energy assistance program that’s federally funded and administered through the Arizona Department of Economic Security. Higher priority goes to those who are more vulnerable. More information here.
For more resources for other parts of the state, click here.
