Last updated: May 20, 2026
Bottom line
If you are a single mother in Virginia and the electric, gas, heating fuel, water, or phone bill is too much, start with the program that fits the problem in front of you. For heating and cooling help, use Virginia’s Energy Assistance Program. For an electric bill that stays high every month, check Virginia PIPP if you are a Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power customer. For same-day local help, call or search 211 Virginia.
Do not wait until the shutoff date. Call your utility as soon as you know you cannot pay. Ask for a payment plan, hardship program, medical delay if someone in the home has a serious medical condition, and a referral to the local agency that handles assistance funds.
If you have a shutoff notice
Take three steps today. First, call the utility and ask for a hold, payment plan, or hardship review. Second, apply for energy help through CommonHelp or by phone at 855-635-4370 if the program window is open. Third, call 211 and ask for local utility, food, diaper, rent, and transportation help so you are not using every dollar on the bill.
If someone in your home has a serious medical condition, Virginia utility rules may give you extra time before shutoff. A customer with a Serious Medical Condition Certification Form on file may request at least a 30-calendar-day delay after a termination notice. If the form is not on file yet, the customer may request a 15-calendar-day delay while the form is gathered. This delay is not bill forgiveness, so use the time to apply for help and make a plan.
Where to start in Virginia
Utility help is not one single program. Virginia has state energy help, electric bill payment plans, utility charity funds, weatherization, local nonprofits, and phone discounts. The right door depends on the bill, the season, your utility company, and whether there is a shutoff notice.
Heating or cooling bill
Start with VDSS Energy Assistance. It has fuel, crisis, cooling, and weatherization paths. Most bill-payment parts use a 150% federal poverty level income test.
Electric bill every month
Check PIPP if you use Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power. It can set a lower monthly electric amount tied to income and may forgive old balances over time when payments are made on time.
Local emergency help
Call 211. Ask for utility assistance, food pantries, rent help, and community action agencies in your city or county. Local funds can run out, so ask about more than one place.
If money is short across the whole household, also use broader help. Our Virginia help guide covers cash, food, rent, child care, health coverage, and local support in one place.
Quick help table
| Problem | Best first step | What to ask | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating bill or fuel is unaffordable | VDSS Energy Assistance | Ask about Fuel Assistance and Crisis Assistance. | Fuel Assistance has a short fall application window. |
| Cooling bill or unsafe heat | VDSS Cooling Assistance | Ask if your home includes a child under 6, a person 60 or older, or a person with a disability. | Cooling help is seasonal and has extra household rules. |
| Electric bill is too high every month | PIPP | Ask if your Dominion or Appalachian Power account can be placed on PIPP. | You must pay the reduced bill on time to stay enrolled. |
| Shutoff notice | Call utility and 211 | Ask for a hold, payment plan, hardship fund, and local agency referral. | Calling early gives you more options than calling after disconnection. |
| Water bill | Water provider | Ask for payment arrangements and any customer assistance program. | Water aid is often local or company-specific. |
Virginia Energy Assistance Program
The Virginia Department of Social Services runs the Energy Assistance Program. It can help with home heating costs, heating emergencies, cooling costs, cooling equipment, and energy-saving home improvements. Fuel, Crisis, and Cooling Assistance generally require a heating or cooling expense and gross monthly household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.
You can apply online through CommonHelp, by phone at 855-635-4370, or by paper application through your local DSS office. If you are already applying for SNAP, TANF, child care, or health coverage, CommonHelp can also keep many benefit steps in one account.
| Part of EAP | What it may help with | When to apply | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel Assistance | Heating costs for households responsible for heat | Second Tuesday in October through second Friday in November | Virginia says eligibility notices are sent in late December. |
| Crisis Assistance | No heat, unsafe heating equipment, cut-off notice, fuel, primary heat utility bills, or deposits | November 1 through March 15 for equipment and deposits; January through March 15 for fuel and utility bills | Use this when there is a heating emergency, not just a high bill. |
| Cooling Assistance | Electric bills, deposits, window AC purchase or installation, or central AC and heat pump repair | June 15 through August 15 | The home must include a vulnerable person, such as a child under 6, a person 60 or older, or a person living with a disability. |
| Weatherization | Home changes that reduce energy use | Year-round through local weatherization providers | This does not pay a current bill, but it can lower future costs. |
Tip
Apply as early as you can during a program window. If you miss Fuel Assistance in the fall, do not give up. Ask whether Crisis Assistance, a utility hardship fund, PIPP, 211, or a local community action agency can still help.
PIPP electric bill help
Virginia’s Percentage of Income Payment Program, called PIPP, helps eligible Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power households keep electric bills more affordable. The state says PIPP may set the bill at 10% of income if you heat with electricity, or 6% of income if you use another heating source. It can also forgive old balances over 12 months when the reduced bill is paid in full and on time each month.
PIPP is not for every utility customer. You may qualify if you are a Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power customer, have an active electric account, and meet the income limit. You can apply through CommonHelp or by paper application to your local DSS office.
Before you enroll, ask how PIPP changes your other billing options. Dominion’s PIPP materials say PIPP customers may not be able to use some other billing programs at the same time, such as budget billing or short- and long-term payment plans.
Utility company hardship programs
Your utility company may have a hardship program, payment arrangement, budget billing, deposit help, or a partner agency that reviews applications. These programs are not always open to every customer. Some require a shutoff notice. Some require you to apply for state help first. Some funds are first come, first served.
| Program | Who it may help | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| Dominion EnergyShare | Dominion Energy service-area customers facing hardship, including customers with a disconnection notice, restoration need, or payment-plan need | Use EnergyShare and the local agency application path. |
| Appalachian Power Neighbor to Neighbor | Appalachian Power customers facing financial hardship | Apply through a local community agency listed by Neighbor to Neighbor. |
| Dollar Energy Fund Virginia | Eligible customers of Appalachian Power, Old Dominion Power, Columbia Gas of Virginia, and Virginia American Water | Review the Virginia utility program and call your utility first. |
| Payment plans | Customers who can pay part of the bill but need more time | Call the utility before the due date or shutoff date. |
If the utility offers only a small plan and you still cannot pay, ask for the names of all partner agencies. Then call 211 and ask for the same list. Sometimes a local agency knows about church, county, or nonprofit funds that the utility call center does not explain in detail.
Water, phone, internet, and weatherization help
Water and wastewater bills
Virginia does not have one simple statewide water-bill program for every household. Start with your water provider. If you are a Virginia American Water customer, the company says its customer assistance programs may include payment arrangements and H2O Help to Others grants for eligible customers who have a shutoff notice or disconnection and meet other rules.
If your water comes from a city, county, town, or authority, call that office and ask about hardship funds, payment plans, leak adjustments, deposit help, and whether local charities can help. Municipal utility complaints often go through the local government, not the State Corporation Commission.
Phone and internet discounts
The federal Lifeline program can reduce the cost of phone or internet service for eligible low-income households. You may qualify through programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, certain housing assistance, or income at or below the Lifeline limit. Check Lifeline qualifications before you choose a provider.
Weatherization
Virginia’s Weatherization Assistance program is run through the Department of Housing and Community Development and local nonprofit providers. It may help with air sealing, insulation, ventilation, heating and cooling system repair, and safety checks. DHCD says WAP does not pay utility bills. Renters may be eligible, but the landlord must give written permission for the work.
Documents and information to gather
Do not wait to apply just because your folder is not perfect. Start the application, save the confirmation number, and then gather missing proof. Still, having basic papers ready can prevent delays.
- Photo ID, if available
- Current utility bill and shutoff notice, if you have one
- Proof of income for all adults in the home, such as pay stubs, benefit letters, or unemployment records
- Social Security numbers or case numbers, if the program asks for them
- Lease, mortgage statement, or proof of address
- Names and ages of household members
- Proof of disability, age, or medical need when applying for cooling help, weatherization priority, or medical delay
- Receipts or payment history if the program requires a good-faith payment
If food money is gone because you paid the electric bill, apply for Virginia SNAP help too. Utility help and food help often need some of the same papers.
Shutoff protections and complaints
Virginia utility shutoff rules can be confusing because protections depend on the utility type, the notice, the weather, payment history, medical facts, and whether the utility is regulated by the State Corporation Commission. Do not assume you have no rights, but also do not assume a protection cancels the bill.
For serious medical conditions, read the state rule on service termination limits and ask the utility for the Serious Medical Condition Certification Form. If the utility will not explain your options, or if you believe a regulated utility is handling a shutoff incorrectly, contact the SCC’s utility complaints office. The SCC complaint office lists 804-371-9611 and toll-free 1-800-552-7945 for public utility complaints.
If your utility is municipal, such as a city or town utility, ask the local government who reviews complaints and payment arrangements. If you are unsure who regulates your provider, ask 211 or the utility company directly.
When the utility bill is one part of a bigger crisis
A utility bill problem often comes with rent stress, child care gaps, medical bills, or job loss. Do not use all your time on one bill if another deadline could hurt your family more. If rent is behind, read our Virginia housing help guide. If you are facing a fast emergency, use Virginia emergency help for food, shelter, and local backup steps.
Other related ASMOM guides can help you build a full plan: help with bills, rent and eviction, Virginia TANF, Virginia child care, Virginia health coverage, Virginia community support, Virginia legal help, Virginia transportation help, and local 211 help.
If you are denied, delayed, or ignored
Denials and delays happen. A denial does not always mean there is no help. It may mean the program window was closed, a document was missing, your utility was not covered, funds ran out, or your income was over the limit for that program.
- Ask for the reason in writing.
- Save screenshots, confirmation numbers, notices, emails, and names of workers you spoke with.
- Ask what exact document is missing and where to send it.
- Ask whether you can appeal, reapply during another window, or use a different program.
- Call 211 and your utility again while the state application is pending.
Virginia DSS lists appeal resources for Energy Assistance. Follow the notice closely if you want to appeal. For legal questions about shutoff rights, debt collection, unsafe housing, or a landlord blocking weatherization, contact legal aid or a licensed attorney instead of relying on general information.
Phone scripts
Calling your utility
“I am a single parent and I cannot pay the full bill by the due date. I want to avoid disconnection. Can you check every option on my account, including a payment plan, hardship fund, medical delay form, budget billing, deposit help, and local agency referral?”
Calling DSS or CommonHelp
“I need help with a utility bill. Can you tell me whether Fuel, Crisis, Cooling, PIPP, or another energy program is open for my household right now? What documents are missing, and how can I prove I sent them?”
Calling 211
“I have a utility bill problem and I also need to keep food and rent stable. Can you search by my ZIP code for utility assistance, community action agencies, churches, food pantries, diaper help, and transportation help?”
Calling about a medical delay
“Someone in my home has a serious medical condition. I need the utility’s Serious Medical Condition Certification Form and a temporary delay while the form is completed. How can the provider send the form, and what is the deadline?”
Resumen en español
Si necesita ayuda con luz, gas, calefacción, agua, teléfono o internet en Virginia, empiece con el programa correcto. Para calefacción o aire acondicionado, revise Energy Assistance de Virginia. Para una factura eléctrica muy alta cada mes, pregunte por PIPP si usa Dominion Energy o Appalachian Power. Si tiene aviso de corte, llame a la compañía, pida un plan de pago y llame al 211 para ayuda local. Si alguien en la casa tiene una condición médica seria, pida el formulario médico de la compañía de servicios públicos.
Questions single mothers ask about utility help in Virginia
Can single mothers get special utility grants in Virginia?
Virginia does not have one statewide utility grant only for single mothers. Real help usually comes through Energy Assistance, PIPP, utility hardship funds, 211 referrals, community action agencies, and local nonprofits.
What is the fastest place to start with a shutoff notice?
Call the utility first and ask for a hold, payment plan, hardship program, and medical delay if needed. Then apply through CommonHelp if an energy program is open and call 211 for local help.
Does Virginia Energy Assistance pay water bills?
Virginia Energy Assistance focuses on heating, cooling, crisis energy needs, and weatherization. Water help is usually handled through the water provider, local government, Dollar Energy Fund partners, 211, or local charities.
Can PIPP erase my old electric bill?
PIPP may forgive old balances over time when an enrolled customer pays the reduced bill in full and on time each month. Missing payments or failing to re-verify income can cause removal from the program.
Can renters get weatherization in Virginia?
Yes, renters may be eligible for Weatherization Assistance, but the landlord must give written permission. The local weatherization provider reviews both household eligibility and the condition of the home.
What if the utility or agency says no?
Ask for the reason in writing, save proof, ask about appeal rights, and try another help path. A denial from one program does not always mean you cannot get help from PIPP, 211, a utility fund, or a local nonprofit.
About this guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
A Single Mother is independent and is not a government agency, benefits office, lender, law firm, medical provider, or tax advisor.
Program rules, funding, local availability, and eligibility can change. Always confirm details with the official program before you apply or make decisions.
Verification: Last verified May 20, 2026, next review August 20, 2026.
Corrections: If you see something wrong or outdated, email suggestions@asinglemother.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, immigration, disability, safety, or government-agency advice.