Assistance with utility and electric bills in Florida.

Both the government as well as utility companies in Florida provide energy bill assistance. There may be everything from emergency finds to pay electric, cooling or heating bills to help in conserving energy. Or a utility company provides payment plans, abatements, or other forms of relief.

Find where to go for utility bill help in Florida below. Both government financial assistance programs as well as each individual utility company has resources. They do their best to help low to moderate income families or senior citizens keep their power on.

Energy bill assistance from government programs in Florida

Weatherization Assistance Program

This program will provide assistance to Florida residents to help them lower their utility bills. The program will, among other things :

• Replace and/or repair or old or inefficient heating and cooling units
• Address air infiltration by using weather stripping, thresholds, caulking, minor repairs to walls, ceilings and floors, and door and window replacement
• Install floor and/or attic
• Repair and/or replace inefficient or old water heaters to save energy and assist with lowering utility bills
• Read more on weatherization assistance in Florida.

 

 

Also, studies show that in most Florida homes bills for air conditioning account for 40 to 50 percent or more of the annual electric bill. Programmable thermostats can help you save on utility bills, and also read tips how to lower your cooling bill.

Federal government energy bill assistance - Florida participates in the federal government funded LIHEAP program. When someone is faced with a crisis, or if they need assistance paying a regular monthly utility bill, then this program may be able to provide cash grants, credits on your utility bills, and other financial assistance. Read more Florida LIHEAP.

Utility assistance from companies and non-profits

Florida Power and Light’s ASSIST Program covers a large network of agencies and social service organizations located throughout the state. There are also a wide variety of other resources that can help pay energy costs. Some of the utility bill assistance programs and ways to get help with paying electric bills are noted below.

In addition to those, Florida also has a number of assistance programs that will help you address other living costs. The can help customers avoid foreclosure on their home, access gas for a home, and more. Many social service agencies assist individuals with either lowering their current mortgage payments or preventing a foreclosure; and this is in addition to energy bill assistance.

 

 

Utility Bill Assistance Programs

• LIHEAP - The federal governments Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program will help Florida residents with electric bills. This program will provide assistance with electricity and utility bills, and you can use it in the summer to help with cooling bills. More.
• EHEAEP - Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program is offered for older consumers. This assistance program is available to those that are 60 and over.
• FEMA/EFSP- This program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency - Emergency Food and Shelter Program, provides individual utility bill assistance in the form of food and shelter
• FPL Care To Share - Florida Power and Lights emergency assistance fund is a sponsored program.

There are eligibility requirements for each program.

Beaches is a utility provider that provides financial assistance to pay electric, utility, and light bills in Florida from the CARES program. It is run in partnership with BEAMS, a local social service agency. Read more.

City of Lake Worth Utilities, City of Tallahassee Utilities, Clay Electric Cooperative, Fort Pierce Authority, Gainesville Regional Utilities, Gulf Power, Lakeland Electric, Orlando Utilities Commission - All of these companies offer either the Project Care or Project Share assistance programs. They sound similar, and both of them provide assistance for paying utility bills. The programs provide emergency assistance to those who need the most help with paying energy bills, repairs to air-conditioning or heating equipment, and other energy-related needs. They focus on those families who are struggling.

Find details on Clay Electric Cooperative. As noted, the other Florida utility companies also provide this assistance.

City of Fernandina Florida and the Love Your Neighbor Donation Program is a partnership with the Salvation Army. The companies and groups work together to raise money for paying utility bills for customers in a hardship. Learn more.

City of Leesburg - Offers the Citizens Utility Relief Effort (C.U.R.E.), which assists low income Florida families with utility bills. it is run in partnership with community action agencies and Christian Care center charities in the region. Read more.

City of Miramar - Donations from businesses and the public pay for the loveDrop utility and water assistance program. Funds can provide short term, emergency financial help for paying utility bills to Miramar Florida customers who are in a crisis. More on the City of Miramar loveDROP utility bill assistance program.

 

 

City of St. Petersburg runs a utility assistance program too, known as UAP. The donation funded program is run in partnership with local social service agencies and assists struggling residents of the city with their energy bills. Continue reading.

City of Winter Park operates an assistance program as well for the low income. At most $300 will be paid out for utility bills. The funds can keep the lights, power, or electricity on. More on utility bill help in the City of Winter Park.

Clay County Region - Households can receive assistance with electric and utility costs from Lending a Hand. This is a program that individuals donate money to, and the funds are available for families facing poverty that have a short term emergency. Read more.

Florida Power & Light Company offers a Care to Share Program - It provides utility bill assistance to electric customers who maybe in a crisis situation and who are unable to pay their electric bill. A household may receive help of up to $500 for electricity service once in a 12-month period. More on Florida Power and Light Assistance.

Fort Pierce - Low income households as well as seniors may receive assistance from Project Care. This is available as a one time program for families faced with a crisis. They need to use Fort Pierce utilities for their electricity service. Learn more.

Gainesville Regional Utilities - Their donation program known as Project Share has helped thousands of low income and struggling families. Financial aid for utility bills is for seniors and the disabled too. More information.

Gulf Power - Has the Project Share program. This will provide emergency utility bill assistance to those customers who need grants and utility bill help. Project Share will assist with energy saving updates to home, utility and cooling bill payments, and other energy-related needs. Click here to learn more on this program, and other Gulf Power programs.

JEA - Neighbor To Neighbor is an emergency utility bill assistance resource that is provided for the elderly, disabled, and low-income citizens. Learn more.

Kissimmee Utility Authority - The Good Neighbor Energy Fund assists with utility bills for emergency situations. Click here.

Lakeland Electric - Assistance is offered as part of the Project Care. Using donations from the community, funds may be paid out to qualified low income families in their service territory. While the size of the program is limited, families do get assistance with their utilities. Read more.

Ocala Electric Utility - Neighbors Who Care Program will assists those facing a financial hardship with paying utility bills. Learn more.

 

 

Operation Roundup - Is an assistance program offered by Glades Electric Cooperative, Inc., Florida Keys Electric Cooperative, and Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative. This assistance can be used for a variety of bills, including utility, rent, medical, and more.

Orlando Utilities Commission - A program offered is Project Care, which will provide a maximum of $300 for utility bill assistance. More details.

Pensacola Energy can also help the poor with their utility bills. Round Up or one time donations are used for paying energy, light, and electric bills, with hundreds of customers assisted each year. More information.

Progress Energy- The Energy Neighbor Assistance Fund assists families who are facing unexpected energy costs (typically lower income families) may receive help through this fund. All the funds are distributed through local social service agencies to help pay for gas, electricity, oil or wood. Continue reading.

Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc. - SECO Angel Fund is an assistance program which will help those families in need pay energy bills. Donations as part of Pennies from Heaven help low income families keep their utilities on. Learn more.

Tallahassee Florida - The city has implemented a program to assist people with covering the costs of utility bills from the cold weather. The service is only for residents of the city itself - not the outlying communities in Leon County. More.

Talquin Cooperative is a provider in the Capital are of Florida. Hundreds of members may be able to get help paying their cooling and electric bills from a program known as TAP. A Round Up service allows emergency utility bill help to the sick, disabled, and elderly among others. Find more details.

 

 

 

Tampa Electric - SHARE program and Weather Care aid. These programs provide assistance with paying utility bills and other energy bills. They can also provide energy saving improvements to homeowners. It focuses on senior citizens. Also, the Weather Care program provides free home improvements all senior citizens in need. Learn more on Tampa Electric programs, including contact information.