If you can’t pay your energy bill, contact your utility today and ask about hardship arrangements, the exact status of any shutoff notice, and how much is needed to avoid disconnection. At the same time, check your state or territory’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for bill or crisis help. Assistance, funding, and shutoff protections vary by location and provider; neither an application nor a protection automatically cancels debt or guarantees service will stay on.
What to do today if you can’t pay
- Call your utility. Use the phone number on your bill or the provider’s official website. Explain what you can pay and when, and ask what hardship options or payment arrangements are available. If you received a shutoff notice, ask for the exact disconnection date and the amount required to prevent it.
- Ask for the terms in writing. Confirm the payment amount and due dates, what happens if a payment is late, and whether the utility can pause or delay disconnection while you apply for assistance. A hold or a particular payment plan is not guaranteed, so get the provider’s answer directly.
- Contact local assistance promptly. Tell the agency if you have a shutoff notice or service has already been disconnected. Ask whether crisis assistance is available, how to apply, what documents are required, and whether funds remain.
- Keep records. Save the bill, notices, application confirmations, and notes from utility or agency calls, including dates and names or reference numbers when available.
Apply for LIHEAP bill or crisis assistance
The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible households with heating or cooling costs and may offer emergency help during an energy crisis. Eligibility rules, application routes, benefit amounts, schedules, and funding vary by state or territory. Use USAGov’s energy-bill help page to find your local LIHEAP office, then confirm current application dates and available funds with that office.
When you contact the local administrator, ask whether its program is accepting applications now, whether your situation qualifies as an emergency, and how to submit the documents it requires. A pending application does not by itself guarantee that the utility will delay a shutoff; ask the utility what, if anything, it will do while the application is reviewed.
Check whether a shutoff protection applies to you
There is no single U.S. shutoff deadline that applies to every household. State rules can depend on weather, household circumstances such as age or disability, and the type of provider. The HHS/ACF LIHEAP Clearinghouse’s policy overview, updated July 20, 2026, says 42 states have cold-weather disconnection protection policies. That count does not mean every household, utility, or bill is covered.
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Some protections apply mainly to regulated utilities and may not cover municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, or deliverable-fuel providers. A restriction generally delays disconnection; it does not erase past-due amounts or ongoing charges. Check your state public utility or service commission’s guidance and ask your utility whether it is covered. If a dispute remains unresolved, the Clearinghouse advises trying the utility first and then consulting the relevant commission.
Know what help can—and cannot—do
| Option | What it may help with | Timing and limits |
|---|---|---|
| Utility hardship arrangement | Payments toward a balance under terms offered by your provider. | Contact the utility immediately. Terms and any disconnection hold are provider-specific; confirm them directly. |
| LIHEAP | Eligible households’ heating or cooling bills; in some cases, emergency energy-crisis needs. | Application windows, eligibility, funding, and benefit amounts vary by state or territory. Contact the local administrator. |
| Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) | For income-qualified households, home improvements intended to reduce energy use. | A longer-term efficiency route, not a substitute for urgent bill payment or a response to an imminent shutoff. Contact your state WAP office. |
| Shutoff protection | May restrict or delay disconnection for covered households or circumstances. | Coverage depends on local rules and provider; restrictions do not forgive arrears. |
If your service has already been disconnected
Use USAGov’s state-specific contact route to find local help, and ask the LIHEAP agency whether crisis assistance is available. Contact the utility to learn exactly what is required to restore service, such as a payment, an application step, an inspection, or another action. Confirm the restoration process and timing with the utility; applying for aid does not automatically reconnect service.
Rank #2
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Examples show why local details matter
Program dates and protections are state-specific and can change. For example, Indiana’s Energy Assistance Program lists an October 1, 2026–April 30, 2027 application window for Program Year 2027 and describes winter moratorium protection for eligible applicants who have applied. Illinois announced its LIHEAP application season would begin October 1, 2026, with priority groups and a later start for other eligible households. These details apply to those states, not nationwide; check your own state or territory’s official administrator.
Funding can also be limited. California’s LIHEAP information describes bill assistance and crisis intervention as well as weatherization, and notes that some eligible households may not receive benefits when funds are prioritized for households in greatest need. Do not assume a particular award amount or availability until the local administrator confirms it.
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