Last updated: July 16, 2026
Bottom line
If you are behind on an Arizona electric, gas, or cooling bill, start three steps at the same time: call the utility, apply for state utility assistance, and contact a local Community Action Agency. Arizona uses one combined application to screen households for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, called LIHEAP, and the newer Power AZ program.
Apply through the Arizona utility assistance page or the A-to-Z portal. Call the LIHEAP service line at 1-866-494-1981, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for application help, a paper form, an accommodation, or grievance information.
For broader help, use the Arizona help page and the national LIHEAP and utility guide. Utility help is limited, and approval does not promise that the full balance will be paid.
If shutoff or extreme heat is urgent
Do not wait for an online application to move by itself when a shutoff date is close, a prepaid account is almost empty, or the home is unsafe in extreme heat.
- Call the utility. Ask for a payment arrangement, hardship review, crisis fund, medical account note, or short extension.
- Apply for LIHEAP or Power AZ and include the full shutoff, delinquency, eviction, or prepaid-energy notice.
- Find your Community Action Agency. Lines can be busy, so keep calling and use any online appointment option.
- Dial 2-1-1 or search Arizona utility referrals for cooling sites, local bill funds, shelters, and other help.
- In Maricopa County, use the Heat Relief Network. In Pima County, use Beat the Heat.
Call 911 for heat illness, fire, a gas smell, a downed power line, or another immediate emergency. The Arizona emergency guide covers food, shelter, rent, transportation, and safety help.
Where to start
Electric or gas bill
Apply for LIHEAP or Power AZ. Then ask the utility about its own monthly discount, crisis fund, and payment plan.
Water or city bill
Check the city, county, or water company. Arizona’s temporary federal water program is closed to new applications.
Family crisis
Ask the local Community Action Agency whether Short-Term Crisis Services can help with a utility payment or deposit.
High bills every month
Apply for a utility discount and weatherization. Bill payment help alone may not fix an inefficient home.
Quick reference
| If you need | Start here | What to ask | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric or gas payment | LIHEAP and Power AZ | Standard benefit, crisis benefit, and application status | Funds are first-come, first-served. |
| Shutoff notice | Utility and Community Action | Hold, payment plan, pledge, and crisis review | An application may not stop shutoff by itself. |
| Water or trash bill | City, county, or provider | Discount, payment plan, and local emergency fund | LIHWAP is closed to new applications. |
| Child in a family crisis | Short-Term Crisis Services | Utility payment, deposit, rent, or work need | Help is limited to once in 12 months. |
| High bills every season | Utility discount and weatherization | Monthly savings, inspection, and home repairs | Weatherization is not same-day help. |
LIHEAP and Power AZ
LIHEAP is a federal program that helps eligible Arizona households with heating and cooling costs. Power AZ is a state program launched to serve households whose income is above the normal LIHEAP limit but no higher than 100% of Arizona’s State Median Income.
You do not file separate applications. Arizona uses one combined application and screens the household for both programs. A household can receive a standard benefit from only one of the two programs during the same 12-month eligibility period.
Current monthly income limits
The limits below are posted by Arizona DES as of July 2026. Income is measured before taxes. Receiving DES Nutrition Assistance or Cash Assistance can make a household categorically eligible for LIHEAP’s income test, although other program rules and documents still apply.
| Household size | LIHEAP limit | Power AZ limit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,936 | $4,894 |
| 2 | $3,840 | $6,400 |
| 3 | $4,743 | $7,906 |
| 4 | $5,647 | $9,412 |
| 5 | $6,550 | $10,918 |
| 6 | $7,454 | $12,424 |
Apply even if income is close to a limit. The agency must decide which program fits. For larger households, use the current DES chart rather than adding an old amount from another website.
How benefits are set
Standard benefits are currently $160, $320, $480, or $640. Arizona uses a point system based on income, the share of income going to energy, and certain household needs. A household can receive added points for a person age 60 or older, a person with a disability, a child age 6 or younger, or a veteran.
A crisis benefit of up to $500 may be available after the standard benefit is exhausted when the household has a shutoff or delinquency notice, an eviction notice involving utilities included in rent, or fewer than seven days of portable or prepaid energy. Each standard and crisis benefit is generally limited to once in a 12-month period.
Eligible energy costs include electricity, gas, portable fuel, and water used for evaporative cooling from May 1 through October 31. Sewer, trash, phone, cable, and internet are not LIHEAP costs. Benefits are normally paid to the utility, not handed to the applicant.
How to apply
- File online or on paper. Use the A-to-Z portal. A Community Action Agency can help with a paper application or an accommodation.
- List each energy account. Arizona can split an approved benefit among more than one energy utility. Put the most urgent account first.
- Upload full documents. Send every page of the bill and shutoff notice. A cropped balance screen may not be enough.
- Complete identity verification. Online applicants may receive an ID.me link. A person who does not use ID.me can file a paper application with government-issued identification.
- Call the utility. Tell it that you applied, but do not assume the application automatically creates a hold.
- Check messages. Respond quickly to requests from DES or the Community Action navigator.
Households with a tribal member may also have a tribal LIHEAP path. Arizona DES says a household can contact the tribe that administers LIHEAP. If tribal funds are exhausted or the tribal application is denied, ask whether the household may also use the state application.
The national documents checklist can help you organize several benefit applications.
Arizona summer shutoff rules
The Arizona Corporation Commission says APS, Tucson Electric Power, and UNS Electric chose a residential shutoff moratorium from June 1 through October 15, 2026. These regulated utilities generally cannot disconnect residential service for late payment, nonpayment, or accumulated debt during that period.
This does not erase the bill. New charges continue, and the balance remains due. It also does not mean every Arizona electric provider follows the same calendar. SRP, cities, electric cooperatives, gas utilities, and water providers may use different rules.
Read the utility notice and check the current 2026 moratorium notice. Ask the provider what protection applies to your account and what must be paid before protection ends.
A medical alert can help the utility plan notices or apply a medical program, but it does not guarantee uninterrupted service. Keep a backup plan for powered medical equipment and call the medical provider about safe options.
Utility company programs
Apply for company help even if you also applied for LIHEAP or Power AZ. Monthly discounts can reduce future bills, while crisis funds may help a current balance.
| Utility | Programs to check | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| APS | APS assistance programs | Ask about Energy Support, medical discounts, crisis bill help, APS CARE, and payment plans. |
| SRP | SRP monthly discount | Current discounts are $35 monthly at lower income levels and $10 for the expanded income tier. |
| Tucson Electric Power | TEP customer assistance | Ask about Lifeline, short-term help, extensions, and the Medical Device Alert. Lifeline enrollment can take two bill cycles. |
| UniSource | UniSource CARES | Ask about monthly discounts, short-term help, payment extensions, and annual renewal requirements. |
| Southwest Gas | Southwest Gas help | Ask about the low-income rate, bill assistance, Energy Share, weatherization, and flexible payment options. |
SRP is not regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission in the same way as investor-owned utilities. Start disputes with SRP directly and ask about its Consumer Affairs Ombudsman process. For an unresolved complaint involving a regulated utility, use the ACC complaint process after first contacting the company.
Water, sewer, and trash bill help
Arizona’s temporary Low Income Household Water Assistance Program is closed. DES says funding was exhausted and new applications stopped on August 8, 2023. Do not send documents to a website claiming the state LIHWAP program reopened unless DES announces it.
Local help still exists:
- Phoenix: Project Assist helps qualifying residents with Phoenix water, sewer, and trash bills.
- Tucson: Tucson Water CARES provides monthly water, sewer, and garbage discounts for approved customers.
- EPCOR: EPCOR bill assistance includes low-income help in eligible service areas and a separate disabled-veteran credit.
- Maricopa County: County utility assistance serves eligible residents outside Phoenix, Mesa, and Glendale.
In other areas, call the provider, city human services office, county office, Community Action Agency, or 211. If unpaid utilities put housing at risk, use the Arizona housing guide.
Short-Term Crisis Services
Arizona Short-Term Crisis Services can help some low-income families with a dependent child living in the home. Covered needs can include utility payments, utility deposits, rent or mortgage help, shelter, rental deposits, and certain costs needed to get or keep work.
The current program limit is 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. A household with a person age 60 or older or a person with a disability can use a 150% limit. Assistance is limited to once in a 12-month period and is not guaranteed.
Apply through the official crisis services page and your local Community Action Agency. You must explain and provide proof of the emergency. The national Community Action guide explains how these agencies work.
Weatherization can lower future bills
The Arizona Weatherization Assistance Program helps income-eligible renters and homeowners reduce energy use and address energy-related health and safety problems. Work may include an energy inspection, air sealing, insulation, duct repairs, or other approved measures.
The program is active, but it is not an emergency bill payment. A local provider must review the household and home. Renters may need landlord approval. Repairs depend on the inspection, funding source, and whether the home can be weatherized safely.
Use the official Arizona weatherization page to find the provider for your county. Also check the Arizona healthcare guide when heat or a medical condition affects the family’s health.
Documents and information to gather
| What may be needed | Examples | Practical tip |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Government photo ID or paper-application ID proof | Ask for a paper path if online identity verification fails. |
| Utility account | Full current bill and account number | Send every page, not only the balance. |
| Crisis proof | Shutoff, delinquency, eviction, or prepaid-energy notice | Make the date and amount easy to read. |
| Income | Pay stubs, benefits, support, unemployment, or zero-income proof | Use the time period requested by the application. |
| Household status | Household members and citizenship or immigration documents | Ask how non-applicant household members are handled. |
| Medical need | The utility’s doctor certification form | Get the exact form before asking the provider to sign. |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for shutoff day. Start with the utility and application as soon as the notice arrives.
- Using old income limits. Arizona updated both LIHEAP and Power AZ limits in 2026.
- Assuming the moratorium covers everyone. The June 1 to October 15 rule applies to specific regulated electric utilities.
- Thinking summer protection forgives debt. Charges keep adding to the account.
- Applying to closed LIHWAP. Water help is now mainly local.
- Paying a service fee. Official utility benefit applications do not require a fee for faster approval.
If assistance is denied, delayed, or not enough
Ask DES or the Community Action navigator what caused the decision. It may involve a missing document, identity verification, income, a duplicate payment period, an ineligible utility, or a rule that can be corrected.
Arizona currently offers two LIHEAP and Power AZ grievance paths:
- Administrative Review: Submit the review request within 10 calendar days of the application decision. If the review does not fix the issue, an appeal can be filed within 20 calendar days of that review decision.
- Direct appeal: Skip the internal review and submit the appeal request within 20 calendar days of the application decision.
Follow the date and instructions in your own notice. The benefits problem guide can help you organize the appeal. For an unresolved regulated-utility complaint, contact the Arizona Corporation Commission. The Arizona legal guide lists legal-help starting points.
Layer other benefits while you wait. Check the Arizona TANF guide, Arizona SNAP guide, and Arizona child care guide. Reducing food or child care costs can leave more money for utilities.
Backup options when funding is limited
- Search Wildfire energy assistance for utility-supported local funds and partner agencies.
- Ask 211 about churches, St. Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army, city crisis programs, cooling centers, and county help.
- Use the Arizona community guide for local agencies.
- Check the Arizona transportation guide if reaching an appointment or cooling site is a problem.
- Use the Arizona WIC guide when pregnancy or a child under 5 adds food costs.
Phone scripts
Calling the utility
Hello, I have a past-due residential account and a shutoff notice dated [date]. I am applying for LIHEAP or Power AZ. What payment arrangement, hardship hold, discount, or crisis program can I request today?
Calling about the application
Hello, I submitted my Arizona utility assistance application on [date]. Can you tell me whether it is complete, whether it is marked as a crisis, and which document or identity step is still needed?
Calling a water provider
Hello, I am behind on my water or city-services bill. Since state LIHWAP is closed, do you have a low-income discount, payment plan, emergency fund, leak adjustment, or partner agency?
Calling about a medical need
Hello, someone in my household uses powered medical equipment or has a serious medical need. Which medical form should the provider complete, and what notices or account programs does it provide?
Resumen en español
Arizona usa una sola solicitud para LIHEAP y Power AZ. Puede solicitar por el portal A-to-Z o pedir ayuda al 1-866-494-1981. Envie la factura completa, identificación, ingresos y cualquier aviso de corte. Power AZ tiene un límite de ingresos más alto.
APS, TEP y UNS Electric no cortan el servicio residencial por falta de pago entre el 1 de junio y el 15 de octubre de 2026, pero la deuda sigue aumentando. Para agua, pregunte a la ciudad o compañía porque LIHWAP está cerrado. Si necesita un centro de enfriamiento, llame al 2-1-1.
FAQ
What is the difference between LIHEAP and Power AZ?
Both help with eligible energy bills. Power AZ uses a higher income limit. Arizona screens one combined application and approves the household for only one program during the eligibility period.
How much utility help can I receive?
Current standard benefits are $160, $320, $480, or $640. An eligible household that exhausts the standard benefit may receive crisis help of up to $500.
Can Arizona shut off electricity in summer?
APS, TEP, and UNS Electric chose a June 1 through October 15, 2026 moratorium. Other electric providers may follow different rules, and all bills remain due.
Does Arizona still accept LIHWAP applications?
No. Arizona says federal LIHWAP funding was exhausted and new applications stopped in August 2023. Check local water, city, county, and Community Action programs.
What if LIHEAP is denied?
Read the decision notice. You may request an administrative review within 10 days or file a direct appeal within 20 days under the current Arizona process.
Can weatherization pay my past-due bill?
No. Weatherization focuses on approved home energy improvements. Apply separately for LIHEAP, Power AZ, a utility fund, or local crisis help for a current balance.
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 July 16, 2026, next review October 16, 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.