Emergency Utility Assistance in Phoenix: Help Paying Your Electric, Gas, and Water Bills

By Common Ladder · June 3, 2026 · Updated October 26, 2026 · 6 min read

If your lights, gas, or water are about to be shut off — or already are — call 211 first. Dial 2-1-1 from any phone in Arizona, free — but note the hours: 211 Arizona answers 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, not around the clock. From outside Arizona, use 1-877-211-8661. A live operator can tell you which programs have funds available right now and refer you directly. You do not need to have an address to call. Outside those hours, 211arizona.org is searchable any time.

In Phoenix, losing electricity in summer is a medical emergency. Arizona regulators bar the major electric utilities from cutting off residential service for nonpayment between June 1 and October 15 — but that balance keeps accruing, so the protection is time to act, not a solution. That window has closed for 2026: since October 16, regulated electric utilities can disconnect again, subject only to the temperature rule further down this page. If you built up a balance over the summer, now is when it matters. Multiple programs exist specifically to cover your bill before things reach that point. This guide covers every major option, who qualifies, and what to bring when you call.

LIHEAP — The Federal Baseline for Energy Help

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is the largest energy assistance program available to Arizona residents. It pays a portion of your heating or cooling bill directly to the utility company. You don't repay it.

LIHEAP benefits run up to $640 per year for heating or cooling — but the award is tiered by a points score DES assigns your household, so you may be offered $160, $320, $480 or $640 rather than the maximum. If you're in a genuine energy crisis — facing imminent shutoff, no functioning AC in summer heat — there's a separate crisis benefit of up to $500, awarded once per twelve-month eligibility period, that can be accessed faster.

• Season: LIHEAP is open year-round for both heating and cooling. DES does not publish fixed cooling- and heating-season date ranges on its LIHEAP pages, so do not wait for a season to open — apply when you need help. (This page previously listed an April 1 – November 30 cooling period and a December 1 – March 31 heating period; we could not confirm either against DES, so they have been removed rather than left standing.)
• Apply online through AZ DES: atoz.az.gov · program details at des.az.gov/liheap
• Phone: (866) 494-1981 — Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Maricopa County Human Services: (602) 506-0589

To apply, bring: a photo ID, Social Security cards for everyone in your household, your most recent utility bill, and proof of income (pay stubs, SSI or SSDI letter, benefits statement). Do not rule yourself out on income. Arizona LIHEAP's limits are considerably higher than the 150%-of-poverty figure this page used to quote: DES publishes a gross monthly income limit of $2,936 for a one-person household and $3,840 for two, rising with household size. And if anyone in your household receives DES Cash Assistance or Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), you are categorically eligible and do not have to meet the income test separately.

APS Customers: Energy Support Program and Crisis Bill Assistance

Arizona Public Service (APS) runs two programs for customers who can't keep up with their bills.

APS Energy Support Program

This is a monthly discount — 25% off your bill (up to $95 a month) or 60% off (up to $165 a month), depending on your household income and size. Eligibility runs up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, under guidelines effective July 1, 2026, so households that were turned away in past years may qualify now. Unlike crisis assistance, it's ongoing — but you do need to reapply every 24 months, and you can reapply sooner if your income drops and you'd qualify for the larger discount.

• Energy Support line: (844) 309-5655 · general APS customer service (602) 371-7607
• Apply at aps.com or call and they'll mail you an application
• Bring proof of income and your APS account number

APS Crisis Bill Assistance

If you're behind on your APS bill due to a job loss, medical emergency, or other unexpected hardship, this program provides up to $1,000 per year in direct bill payment. It's administered through local community agencies — not through APS directly.

• Call APS at (602) 371-7607 and ask for a referral to a participating community agency, or call 211
• Eligibility requires documenting the hardship (termination letter, medical bill, etc.) and meeting income guidelines
• Assistance is one-time per hardship event, up to the annual cap

One participating agency: Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) — call (602) 805-1666 to speak to a specialist and book an appointment. CPLC takes utility requests Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only, in set morning and afternoon call windows, and says its help is "contingent upon funding availability," so ask whether funds are open before you plan around it. (This page previously listed CPLC HomeLending at (602) 269-2402, 2610 N. 7th Ave. Neither the number nor the address appears anywhere on CPLC's site; both have been replaced.)

SRP Customers: Income-Qualified Discount

Salt River Project customers can apply for the SRP Income-Qualified Discount, which gives a monthly credit on your bill:

• 0–150% of federal poverty level: $35/month credit
• 151–200% of federal poverty level: $10/month credit

SRP also participates in LIHEAP — if you receive a LIHEAP benefit it is applied directly to your SRP account.

• Phone: (602) 236-8888 (Phoenix) or (800) 258-4777 (outside 602/623/480)
• Apply online at srpnet.com, or request a paper application by phone
• You'll need to submit income documentation for all household members

Southwest Gas Customers: Low Income Ratepayer Assistance (LIRA)

If you use Southwest Gas for heating, the Low Income Ratepayer Assistance (LIRA) program provides:

• A discounted monthly basic service charge
• A 30% reduction on the per-therm usage rate

Southwest Gas also offers an Installment Plan if you're behind on a bill — you pay a portion now and spread the balance over future months. Ask for it by that name; "deferred payment plan" is not what Southwest Gas calls it.

• Phone: (877) 860-6020
• Call to request an income qualification form, or ask about an Installment Plan

City of Phoenix Water Bill: Project Assist

Phoenix residents who are behind on their City water, sewer, and trash bill can apply for Project Assist — a discount program based on household income. Qualifying households receive a reduced rate on their monthly bill going forward, not a one-time payment.

• Phone: (602) 534-2433 (City of Phoenix Human Services)
• You must have a City of Phoenix utilities account in your name
• You must live in Phoenix, have a Phoenix City Services bill, and have household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level
• Appointments are limited. The City says phone lines open at 7 a.m. on Monday mornings — call then, or apply online through a City of Phoenix Family Services Center. Do not count on a same-week appointment

Community Agencies: Emergency One-Time Help

If you don't qualify for a utility discount program, or if the program is temporarily out of funds, several community agencies in Phoenix provide one-time emergency utility payments.

Salvation Army Phoenix — Hope for Families Line

The Salvation Army provides emergency utility and rental assistance in Phoenix for households facing a financial crisis — job loss, unexpected expense, medical hardship. Its own page publishes no dollar cap and no funding schedule, so treat the "$500, refilled monthly" figure you may see elsewhere (this page carried it too) as unconfirmed and ask when you call.

• Utility and rental assistance: (602) 267-4127 — the Salvation Army asks you to call and leave your contact information, then waits for a call back
• Food boxes and referrals: (602) 267-4122 (once per month)
• Funds are widely reported to run short in summer, so call as early in the month as you can
• You'll need your utility account number, ID, and documentation of the hardship

Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Phoenix

St. Vincent de Paul provides utility help through its parish-based volunteer conferences across the Valley. Each conference covers specific ZIP codes and has its own intake hours, so availability varies by neighborhood.

• Phone — read this first: this page carried (602) 266-4673 as SVdP's help line. SVdP has moved its website to svdpaz.org and now publishes no help line at all — not on its homepage, not on its Get Help page. We could not confirm (602) 266-4673 is still answered. Use 211 to be routed to the SVdP conference serving your ZIP code, which is what SVdP's own site tells people to do.
• Address: we could not confirm 420 W. Watkins Rd. against SVdP's current site either. The one Phoenix address and number SVdP does publish is its dining room at 1075 W. Jackson St. (security front desk 602-261-6864) — that is a meal site, not a utility intake office, so do not go there for bill help.
• Help is delivered through parish-based volunteer conferences, each covering specific ZIP codes with its own intake hours, so availability varies by neighborhood

Wildfire (Community Action Agency)

Wildfire administers Community Services Block Grant funds for Maricopa County, including emergency utility assistance. They serve households generally at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

• Phone: (602) 604-0640
• Web: wildfireaz.org
• Intake is through partner agencies — call to find the closest intake site for your ZIP

Arizona's Shutoff Protection Rules

Arizona law prohibits utilities from disconnecting residential service during extreme weather conditions. Specifically: a utility cannot shut off your service when the National Weather Service forecasts a high above 95°F or a low below 32°F within the next 24 hours.

This protection applies automatically — you don't need to ask for it. If a utility is threatening shutoff during these conditions, cite this rule explicitly. If they proceed anyway, file a complaint with the Arizona Corporation Commission:

• ACC Consumer Services: (602) 542-4251, or toll-free in Arizona 1-800-222-7000 (Tucson office: 520-628-6550)
• Web: azcc.gov

Note that the no-shutoff rule applies during the temperature window only — not indefinitely. If an extreme heat day has passed, the utility can proceed with disconnection. Use the window to call 211 and get a payment plan or emergency assistance in place.

What to Bring When You Call

Most programs will ask for the same set of documents. Having these ready before your first call can save days:

• A photo ID (state ID, driver's license, passport, or Maricopa County ID)
• Social Security cards or numbers for everyone in the household
• Your most recent utility bill showing your account number and amount owed
• Proof of income: pay stubs, SSI/SSDI award letter, SNAP or TANF benefit statement
• If applying for crisis assistance: documentation of the hardship (termination letter, medical bill, etc.)

If you don't have an ID, several Phoenix organizations can help you get one quickly — see our ID recovery guide.

Apply to more than one program at the same time. Funds in most programs run out monthly; if one is closed, another may still have availability. The 211 operator can tell you which programs are currently funded.

Start with 2-1-1. Then work down this list.

Verify before you go / call ahead. Phone numbers and program availability change. Call before traveling to any office. If a number is out of service, dial 211 for a current referral.

Have a correction or an update? Contact us — we verify and update this information regularly.