Last updated: October 30, 2026
Bottom line
If your electric, gas, or cooling bill is overdue in Arizona, do three things: call your utility, apply for LIHEAP if eligible, and ask a local Community Action Agency about emergency funds. The state Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) may help pay an approved energy bill. Start at the official Arizona utility assistance page or the A-to-Z Arizona portal.
Important change: Power AZ has run out of funds and does not accept applications submitted after September 21, 2026. DES will still review Power AZ applications filed by that date. New applicants should ask about LIHEAP, their utility’s own programs, and local funds. This is not a promise of approval or a full bill payment.
For help with a paper form, missing proof, an accommodation, or a denial, call the LIHEAP service line at 1-866-494-1981, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For other needs, see the Arizona help page and the national LIHEAP and utility guide.
If shutoff or extreme heat is urgent
Do not rely on a pending application to stop a shutoff. Act at once if you have a shutoff notice, little prepaid energy left, or unsafe indoor heat.
- Call your utility today. Ask about a payment plan, hardship extension, medical account program, crisis payment, and what amount can keep service on.
- Apply for LIHEAP if eligible. Send the whole bill and any shutoff, past-due, eviction, or prepaid-energy notice. Power AZ is not open to new applications.
- Find a Community Action Agency. Ask when funding and intake appointments are available, and whether it accepts urgent applications.
- Use 211 Arizona utility referrals. Dial 2-1-1 for automated referrals, or search the online directory by ZIP code. Live-answer 211 service ended in August 2026.
- Find a cooler place. Maricopa County’s Heat Relief Network has a map, but its 2026 summer season ran May 1 through September 30. Confirm a site’s current hours before going. Pima County lists cooling help through Beat the Heat.
Call 911 for severe heat illness, a gas smell, fire, a downed line, or immediate danger. For related food, housing, and family needs, use the Arizona emergency guide.
Where to start
Electric or gas bill
Check LIHEAP first. Next ask your utility for its own discount, crisis fund, payment plan, or other help. If you applied to Power AZ by September 21, 2026, ask DES whether that application is being processed.
Water, sewer, or city bill
Call the provider, city, or county for a discount, hardship credit, leak adjustment, or payment plan. The former federal LIHWAP water program remains closed to new applications.
Family crisis
Ask Community Action to check Short-Term Crisis Services (STCS). It may help eligible families with utility bills or deposits and other urgent needs.
High bills every month
Ask about a monthly utility discount and weatherization. Bill payment help alone may not lower future bills.
What has changed since July 2026
Power AZ ended new intake after September 21, 2026. DES will review earlier applications, but later ones cannot be processed. LIHEAP remains a separate application option for eligible households. Arizona’s listed APS, TEP, and UNS Electric summer nonpayment protection ends October 15, 2026. Also, 211 Arizona’s phone service has used an automated referral system since August 14.
Quick reference
| Need | First step | Ask about | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric or gas bill | LIHEAP and utility | Regular benefit, crisis benefit, discount | LIHEAP funds are limited; Power AZ is closed to new applications. |
| Shutoff notice | Utility and Community Action | Payment hold, arrangement, local funds | An application alone may not protect service. |
| Water or trash | City, county, or provider | Local bill aid, discount, payment plan | State LIHWAP is closed. |
| Family crisis with child | STCS through Community Action | Utility payment, deposit, rent, or work cost | STCS is limited to once in 12 months. |
| High bills every season | Utility discount and weatherization | Monthly savings and home check | Weatherization is not an emergency payment. |
LIHEAP and Power AZ: what is open?
LIHEAP is still accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to funding and eligibility. It is a federal program run by Arizona DES. It helps with approved home heating and cooling costs. Power AZ was a separate state program that used the same application system but had a higher income limit. Power AZ funding was exhausted, and applications submitted after September 21, 2026, cannot be processed. Applications filed on or before that date may still be reviewed. See the September 2026 DES notice.
Current LIHEAP monthly income limits
The amounts below are gross monthly household income limits listed by DES for 2026. The former Power AZ numbers are shown only to explain the difference for people with applications filed before its closure. They are not an open application path.
| People in home | LIHEAP monthly limit | Former Power AZ limit (closed) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
For seven or more people, use the full DES income chart. Do not guess by adding the same amount for every extra person. DES Nutrition Assistance or Cash Assistance may make a household automatically meet the LIHEAP income test, but other rules still apply. Eligibility also involves energy need and citizenship or qualified immigration rules. Ask DES how it treats members who are not applying.
How LIHEAP benefits are set
The current regular LIHEAP amounts are $160, $320, $480, or $640. DES uses points based on income, energy costs as a share of income, and household needs. Extra points may apply to a person aged 60 or older, a person with a disability, a child aged 6 or under, or a veteran. Your household is not promised the top amount.
Once the regular benefit has been used, a separate crisis benefit of up to $500 may be available if a household has an eligible shutoff or delinquency notice, an eviction notice involving utilities included in rent, or fewer than seven days of portable or prepaid energy. In general, LIHEAP allows one regular and one crisis benefit in a 12-month eligibility period. Other aid already paid for the same cost and period may affect eligibility.
Approved costs may include electricity, gas, portable fuel, and water used for evaporative cooling between May 1 and October 31. Sewer, trash, phone, cable, and internet are not LIHEAP energy costs. DES normally pays an approved benefit to the utility, not as cash to the applicant.
How to apply for LIHEAP
- Use the official portal or paper form. The A-to-Z portal accepts LIHEAP applications. If you cannot use the online portal or ID.me, ask DES or Community Action about the paper path and approved identity proof.
- List all energy accounts. You can ask DES to split an approved benefit across accounts. Set the most urgent account as Priority 1.
- Upload full records. Include the current bill, photo ID, income or benefit proof, any required citizenship or immigration records, and the whole disconnection notice if relevant.
- Check income-proof exceptions. Current DES Cash Assistance or Nutrition Assistance can allow DES to use the income information already on file rather than request new pay records.
- Call the utility separately. Give your application date and ask whether a payment pledge, medical program, or written arrangement could protect your service. A pending application is not the same as a shutoff hold.
- Watch your messages. Keep your application number and copies of uploads. Answer DES requests and check dates on all notices.
Already applied to Power AZ? If you filed by September 21, 2026, contact DES to check the case. Do not send a new Power AZ application now. If you applied after the deadline, ask whether you may qualify for LIHEAP or another program.
Tribal help: A household with an eligible tribal member may have a tribal LIHEAP provider. Contact the tribe to check its rules and funds. If tribal aid is denied or exhausted, ask DES whether a state application is allowed. Keep the denial or funding notice if provided.
Use a written documents checklist when you apply for several kinds of help at once.
Arizona’s 2026 summer shutoff rules
The Arizona Corporation Commission says APS, Tucson Electric Power (TEP), and UNS Electric chose a residential nonpayment shutoff pause from June 1 through October 15, 2026. As of this October 13 update, that period is almost over. If you read this on or before October 15, call your utility now to ask about a payment plan before it ends. If you read this after October 15, do not assume the summer pause still protects your account. Check the current shutoff notice and provider rules.
See the ACC’s June 2026 notice for the exact companies and dates.
Protection from disconnection does not wipe out debt. New charges still add up. Do not assume your account will be shut off on October 16, either; the provider must follow the rules that apply to the account. Ask for your notice and options in writing.
This specific moratorium is not a statewide rule for every provider. SRP, city utilities, cooperatives, gas suppliers, and water providers may follow different policies. APS also has an added extreme-heat shutoff protection from a settlement. Ask the company to explain which rule applies to you.
If a household member uses powered medical equipment, ask the utility for its required medical form and any medical-notice program. Do not assume enrollment guarantees power during an outage or that it cancels bills. Ask a healthcare professional about safe emergency arrangements.
Utility company programs
Ask about your utility company’s programs even if you applied for LIHEAP. A utility discount can reduce future bills, while a crisis payment or payment plan may help now. Power AZ has closed to new applications.
| 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 credits are $35 monthly for households at or below 150% FPL, or $10 for 151%–200% FPL. Apply through SRP and renew each year. |
| 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. Some customers in SNAP, AHCCCS, WIC, TANF, Head Start, or Section 8 can qualify for an automatic 40% discount after the city checks the program. Ask about its separate emergency hardship credit as well.
- 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.
DES says the applicant must live in Arizona and have a dependent child under age 18 who meets the program’s citizenship or qualified-resident rules. The family must show an emergency it cannot cover with its own funds. The income limit is generally 125% of federal poverty guidelines, or 150% if the household includes someone age 60 or older or a person with a disability. The program allows help at most once in 12 months, subject to funds.
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
Keep a folder of bills, dates, application numbers, receipts, and copies of each notice. Ask the program about other ways to prove identity or income if a document is missing; do not send sensitive records to an unverified third party.
| 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.
- Trying Power AZ after its September 21 closure. Do not mistake its old higher income chart for an open program.
- Assuming the October 15 moratorium covers every utility. It applies to APS, TEP, and UNS Electric under their chosen 2026 option; confirm rules for your provider.
- Thinking summer protection forgives debt. The balance keeps growing, so ask for a payment plan before the moratorium ends.
- 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.
For an older Power AZ case: If DES says your application was filed after September 21, 2026, that closure is not the same as failing an income test. Ask what decision was made, what review rights appear on your notice, and whether you can apply to LIHEAP instead.
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.
Ask the local agency about the Home Energy Assistance Fund, including whether it has money for your ZIP code and utility. A referral to a charity or program does not mean it has funds today. Keep your utility payment-plan request active while you call.
Phone scripts
Calling the utility
“Hello, I have a past-due account and a shutoff notice dated [date]. I am applying for LIHEAP. What payment plan, hardship hold, discount, or crisis payment can I ask for before my shutoff date?”
Calling about the application
“Hello, I submitted my Arizona energy assistance application on [date]. Is my LIHEAP case complete? If it is a Power AZ case, was it received by September 21? What document or ID 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
En Arizona, LIHEAP puede ayudar a familias que califican con las facturas de luz, gas o enfriamiento. Solicite por el portal A-to-Z o llame al 1-866-494-1981 para pedir ayuda o una solicitud en papel. Tenga lista la factura completa, identificación, ingresos y aviso de corte si lo tiene.
Power AZ ya no acepta nuevas solicitudes después del 21 de septiembre de 2026. Si solicitó antes de esa fecha, pregunte a DES por su caso. APS, TEP y UNS Electric tienen protección contra cortes por falta de pago hasta el 15 de octubre de 2026, pero la deuda sigue pendiente. Llame a su compañía para pedir un plan de pago.
Para el agua, pregunte a la ciudad o compañía porque LIHWAP está cerrado. Para centros de enfriamiento o ayuda local, use el directorio de 211 Arizona o marque 2-1-1 (sistema automático). Si hay peligro inmediato, llame al 911.
FAQ
Is Power AZ still taking applications?
No. Arizona DES says it cannot accept or process Power AZ applications submitted after September 21, 2026. Applications sent by that date may still be reviewed. Ask about LIHEAP and other local help instead.
What is the difference between LIHEAP and Power AZ?
LIHEAP is federally funded and still takes applications, subject to funds and rules. Power AZ was a state program with a higher income limit. It is now closed to new applications, and people could not get regular benefits from both during the same eligibility period.
How much can LIHEAP pay in Arizona?
Arizona lists regular awards of $160, $320, $480, or $640 based on need. After an eligible regular benefit is used, an eligible crisis payment may be up to $500. Approval and the highest amount are not guaranteed.
Can Arizona turn off my power in October?
APS, TEP, and UNS Electric chose a 2026 nonpayment moratorium through October 15. Other providers can have different rules. The unpaid balance still counts, and you should ask your utility about notices and a payment plan before the protection ends.
Can I get help with a water bill?
Possibly from your water company, city, county, or a local fund. Arizona LIHWAP stopped new applications on August 8, 2023. Tucson Water CARES, Phoenix Project Assist, EPCOR, and some county agencies offer their own kinds of help.
What if I have a shutoff notice right now?
Call the utility and Community Action now, ask for a payment hold, and send a complete shutoff notice with a LIHEAP application if eligible. A filed application does not automatically stop disconnection.
What if LIHEAP is denied or delayed?
Read the notice. DES says an administrative review request is due within 10 calendar days, or you can ask for a direct appeal within 20 calendar days. If you request a review first, the appeal window is 20 calendar days after that decision. Follow your own notice.
Can weatherization pay my overdue bill?
No. Weatherization helps with approved home energy improvements, not an overdue utility payment. Ask about LIHEAP, the utility company, or local crisis funds for a past-due 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 October 30, 2026; next review January 28, 2027.
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.
Last updated: October 30, 2026 Next review: January 28, 2027