Northshore Utility District (NUD) Share a Drop utility bill assistance

One time, emergency utility bill assistance is available as part of Northshore Utility District Share a Drop. The round up as well as one time donation program allows people (individuals, non-profits, and businesses) to give back to the community. The money raised from the program is strictly for paying energy bills, with 100% of contributions used for that purpose.

The focus of this donation Share a Drop program is on individuals that are of course (1) low income or struggling and (2) that have additional challenges. Maybe the applicant is disabled or elderly, and had a medical issue. Or maybe a customer has had a primary wage earner in the home pass away, and their income took a hit. Other, one-time exceptional challenges may also arise which cause the family to struggle with their utility bill and need some form of help. This is when a grant may be issued from Share a Drop, and all of the funds go to pay energy costs.

Donations are used for these and similar situation. The money will not be used as a form of anti-poverty energy bill assistance program. If that is what someone is seeking then they should look into programs such as LIHEAP or maybe welfare/TANF. Instead money from Northshore Utility District Share a Drop is focused on one-time, unexpected occurrences.

Donations and applications to NUD Share a Drop

As noted, there are two main components to it. Contributions are made, and the money can come from many places. Every single dollar raised, whether it is $1 or $100, goes to help qualified applicants pay their utility bills. As noted there is a focus on certain families as listed above.

 

 

In addition to the program assisting with utility as well as energy bills, the donor will get a tax deduction. This comes from both the state of Washington and federal government. It in effect reduces the net, out of pocket amount of the cost of the family. So if a person donates say $100, and they are in the 30% tax bracket, then their total cost will be $70.

Of course the second reason for Northshore Utility District Share a Drop is to provide emergency, short term or one time utility bill assistance to a customer. When applying for funds, be sure to bring proof of income, residency, copies of identification, SS cards, and more. Copies of past due utility bills, including statements as well as proof of payment, will also be helpful in this application process.

Note the process will take days to be approve. Only a small amount of money will be given out as well. The customer will not have their entire utility bill paid, or future ones. This program should not be though of as LIHEAP or a similar government benefits. Instead keep in mind that the dollar values here are small, it is a donation service, and was never intended to solve every financial problem.

The NUD office is in Kenmore Washington. For more information on Share a Drop, the program can be reached at (425) 398-4400.