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Help with energy, water, phone and internet bills

Check LIHEAP openings, act on a shutoff notice, ask about water bills and payment plans, and find Lifeline, libraries or weatherization.

Practical options and next steps

Start with the bill or service you need to keep. Energy help, water assistance and phone discounts use different applications. A submitted request is not a confirmed payment or a cancelled shutoff.

Start with this

Find the provider name, account reference and any shutoff date. If service is about to stop, contact the provider and the relevant assistance office promptly.

Who this helps

For households facing high utility costs, disconnection, limited internet access or a home that needs energy improvements.

Where this guidance applies

Use these national entry routes in all 50 states and DC, then confirm rules with the state program, local office or company. Water assistance is local; a DC example does not establish rules elsewhere.

What to prepare

Steps to take

  1. Choose the correct service Use the matching section below for energy, water, phone, library access or home improvements.
  2. Confirm the current application route Check opening dates, the right local office, accepted documents and an alternative to online-only intake if needed.
  3. Get the outcome in writing Ask whether help is approved or still pending, when it reaches the account and what you must pay next.

Apply for LIHEAP and check opening periods

Use USA.gov’s energy-help entry to locate your state or tribal LIHEAP office. Ask whether heating, cooling or crisis assistance is open for your household now.

What to prepare

  • Prepare the energy bill, household and income records, and a shutoff notice if there is one; ask about missing-proof alternatives.

Steps to take

  1. Confirm the correct local intake office, season dates and whether you apply online, by phone or in person.
  2. Save the receipt and ask how you will learn about missing documents, approval and payment to the provider.

What to check before relying on this: Opening periods, funding and covered charges differ locally. A prior-year approval does not guarantee assistance this year.

If that route does not work: If regular intake is closed, ask about a crisis route or another local program and contact the provider about the bill.

Official and service sources: USA.gov — Energy bills and shutoff help

Continue with a related guide: Read the LIHEAP guide

Act on an electricity or heating shutoff notice

Contact the company using the number on a verified bill. State the shutoff date and ask which actions can prevent or reverse disconnection.

What to prepare

  • Have the complete notice, account reference and any assistance receipt. Ask what documentation a claimed protection requires.

Steps to take

  1. Ask about a payment arrangement, crisis assistance and applicable weather, age or disability protections.
  2. Confirm any hold or reconnection in writing, including its end date, payment needed and remaining steps.

What to check before relying on this: Protections are not identical for every state or provider. A medical issue or submitted application does not automatically cancel a shutoff.

If that route does not work: Ask the state’s official utility contact about unresolved issues. For an immediate life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Official and service sources: USA.gov — Energy bills and shutoff help · USA.gov — State and local government contacts · 911.gov — Emergency calls

Ask your municipality about water and sewer help

Identify the water or sewer company on the bill and ask its customer-assistance team about current help for your address. If water is included in rent, explain that arrangement.

What to prepare

  • Prepare the bill, any shutoff notice and proof of who is responsible for payment; ask what income records are needed.

Steps to take

  1. Ask separately about discounts, emergency grants, payment plans and help investigating an unexpectedly high bill.
  2. Confirm the application office, account-holder rules, documents and when approved help appears on the bill.

What to check before relying on this: There is no single local water-assistance rule. DC Water’s published programs are an example for its customers, not a promise elsewhere.

If that route does not work: Ask the municipality or local social-service office for another referral if the utility has no suitable program.

Official and service sources: DC Water — Local example: bill assistance · USA.gov — State and local government contacts

Apply for Lifeline and verify the service

Start at USAC’s Lifeline website and follow the route for your state. Oregon and Texas use their state application routes.

What to prepare

  • Use the requested proof of qualifying program participation or income, identity, address and household; check accepted alternatives if a record is missing.

Steps to take

  1. After approval, contact a participating company to enroll the benefit in a suitable phone or internet service.
  2. Confirm your final monthly price, coverage, data limits, device cost and any annual verification notice.

What to check before relying on this: Lifeline allows one discount per household. Approval does not automatically activate service or guarantee a free device or unlimited data.

If that route does not work: Use USAC support for application problems and the company for billing or service problems.

Official and service sources: USAC — Apply and choose a Lifeline company · USAC — How Lifeline works · USAC — Lifeline supporting documents

Continue with a related guide: Read the complete Lifeline guide

Find a computer, internet or library support

Use USA.gov’s library finder to locate a nearby public library. Ask what you can use today, including a computer, internet connection or help finding an official form.

What to prepare

  • Have the official form or website address and any library card or identification available; ask about guest access if you lack these.

Steps to take

  1. Check hours, booking, time limits and printing or scanning costs before travelling.
  2. Ask separately whether the branch lends hotspots or devices and whether help in your language is available.

What to check before relying on this: Equipment loans and application assistance are not available at every branch. On a shared computer, do not save passwords; sign out and remove downloaded personal files.

If that route does not work: Ask the agency for phone or paper intake if the available computer time is not enough.

Official and service sources: USA.gov — Find a public library

Ask for a payment plan and check the remaining balance

Ask the company’s hardship or billing team for available arrangements before agreeing to a payment amount. Explain what you can afford while paying new bills.

What to prepare

  • Prepare the total balance, any pending assistance and a realistic monthly budget; do not count an unapproved grant as paid.

Steps to take

  1. Ask about the first payment, later installments, fees, new bills and what happens if an installment is missed.
  2. Get the terms and any shutoff hold confirmed, then check how an assistance payment would change the schedule.

What to check before relying on this: A plan is not automatically debt forgiveness. DC Water illustrates one provider’s options; your provider may use different terms.

If that route does not work: If the proposed amount is unaffordable, ask for another arrangement or the relevant state/local consumer-help contact.

Official and service sources: DC Water — Local example: bill assistance · USA.gov — Energy bills and shutoff help · USA.gov — State and local government contacts

Apply for home energy improvements

Use DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program page to locate your state administrator and the local provider serving your address. Ask whether it is taking applications.

What to prepare

  • Prepare the requested income records, address and ownership or rental details; ask which substitutes can document missing records.

Steps to take

  1. Ask about eligibility review, priority, waiting times and whether another local program is needed for urgent repairs.
  2. If selected, confirm the assessment visit and proposed work. Renters should ask how landlord permission will be obtained.

What to check before relying on this: WAP is not a cash payment for any renovation you choose. The provider determines eligible measures; approval or a waitlist does not promise immediate work.

If that route does not work: For an unpaid energy bill or imminent shutoff, pursue LIHEAP or utility hardship assistance separately.

Official and service sources: DOE — Apply for home weatherization · USA.gov — Energy bills and shutoff help

Words you can use when asking for help

I need help with this bill and there is this date on my notice. Is assistance open for my address and provider? What documents are needed, what balance will remain, and has any shutoff actually been placed on hold?

Prepare my next task

Your choices stay in this open page. They are not sent to us or saved in this browser. Closing or reloading the page clears them. A downloaded file remains on your device; only download it where you can keep it private.

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Choose one task

This is your own follow-up date, not an official deadline. Check any deadline in the agency's notice. The calendar file creates an all-day event; choose notification settings in your calendar.

Follow up

  • Keep each application receipt and check that any approved payment or discount appears on the correct account.
  • Record the next bill, payment-plan date or renewal notice separately. Contact the office if a decision or bill differs from what was confirmed.

Common questions

Does an assistance application stop disconnection?

Not automatically. Ask the company what is required, whether a hold has been approved and when it ends. Local protections and company rules vary.

Does a payment plan cancel my debt?

Usually it changes when you pay. Ask whether any part is forgiven or credited, whether new bills remain due and what happens if you miss a payment.

Official and service sources

These sections explain access using the sources below. They do not confirm that a provider has openings, that you qualify, or that a professional has reviewed your case. Professional language and reader review of this edition remain pending.