Short answer — yes. Help with utility bills exists through federal programs, state programs, utility company discounts, and local charitable funds, and most households that qualify are eligible for more than one. This guide covers what each program pays for, who qualifies, how a medical condition impacts eligibility, and how to keep an application from stalling.

In 2024, 43.6 million U.S. households reported some form of energy insecurity: cutting back on food or medicine to pay an energy bill, keeping the home at an unsafe temperature, or receiving a shutoff notice. That is nearly 1 in 3 homes, the highest share the federal government has ever recorded. There are several programs built to help with utility costs, but they’re scattered, run by separate offices, and most eligible households only ever find one, if that. Knowing the full list is the first step toward using it.
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What programs exist for utility bills?

Help can be offered through direct bill payment, utility company discount rates, free home efficiency upgrades, and emergency crisis funds. Most people find one of these, apply, and assume that’s all the help they can get. But that assumption leads to the majority of households missing money they qualify for.

Start with the bill in front of you:

• Heat: Heating assistance is offered everywhere. ****LIHEAP covers heating bills in every state. Heating is the program's largest and only mandatory component.
• Cooling: Cooling assistance is offered in most states. As of 2025, 26 states plus Washington, D.C. offered summer bill assistance, and some also pay to buy or repair air conditioners. AC rules and eligibility are typically seasonal, covered in detail in our guide to financial aid for air conditioning.
• Electric and gas: Electric and gas assistance is offered in two ways. LIHEAP can pay the bill itself, and most utilities also run their own low-income discount programs with a separate application, so the bill is much smaller.
• Water: There is no federal water bill assistance as of 2026. LIHWAP, the first and only federal water assistance program, ended on March 31, 2024, with no replacement. Help still exists through many water utility hardship programs, a local Community Action Agency, or 2-1-1.

Here are the five main types of utility assistance:

• Bill payment assistance (LIHEAP). Federal grant money paid toward your energy bill. About 6 million households received help in fiscal year 2024, and Congress funded the program at roughly $4 billion for fiscal year 2026.
• Utility discount programs. Run by the utility company. Two examples are California's CARE program, which cuts electric bills 30% to 35%, and Ohio's PIPP Plus, which caps monthly payments at a set share of household income.
• Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Free, permanent efficiency upgrades, including heating and cooling repair or replacement, that save households an average of $372 a year. Renters can apply with landlord permission.
• Shutoff protections. State rules that block disconnection during extreme temperatures or when someone in the home has a documented medical condition. As of 2025, 21 states plus D.C. had summer protections; winter protections are far more common.
• Emergency crisis funds. For any energy bill facing imminent shutoff. LIHEAP crisis assistance and local charitable funds move faster than anything else.

Many households may qualify for help from several different programs, each with its own application process and requirements.

How to know if you're likely to qualify

There are three common considerations that can help you predict your odds without filling out a single form.

• Your household income. Federal law caps LIHEAP eligibility at the greater of 150% of the federal poverty guidelines or 60% of your state's median income, and states set their own limits inside that range. If anyone in your household already receives SNAP, SSI, or TANF, you may qualify automatically, and some states skip income verification entirely for those households. Weatherization reaches higher, up to 200% of the poverty guidelines, so it stays on the table even when LIHEAP doesn’t. The free federal LIHEAP eligibility tool can check your numbers in about a minute.
• Your medical situation. Programs give priority to households where an unsafe temperature is most dangerous: adults 60 and older, young children, and anyone with a condition made worse by heat or cold, such as COPD, heart failure, or kidney disease.
• Your paperwork. Expect to provide proof of income, a photo ID, and a current utility bill, plus a clinician's written certification if you are claiming medical protections. One missing or outdated document can stall the entire application.

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Are you struggling to keep up with your utility bills, or worried about a shutoff?

Yes: You may have access to immediate or ongoing assistance. A Solace advocate can help identify available programs and determine where to start.

No: You may still qualify for programs that lower future utility costs, including utility discounts and weatherization assistance. An advocate can help you explore your options.

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What does medical necessity look like?

Most states have a medical certification process. A licensed clinician confirms that losing service would endanger someone in the home, and the utility must pause disconnection for a set period, commonly 30 to 60 days, renewable in many states. One thing to know going in: these rules were largely written for winter. Roughly 85% of LIHEAP resources go to heating, and cold-weather protections are older and more widespread than summer ones, so some states certify for only one season.

These examples show how specifics can vary by state:

• Ohio: a 30-day medical certificate can stop a disconnection or restore service if power has been off for 21 days or less, and it can be renewed.
• Illinois: certification protects service for 60 days, and a doctor can certify by phone as long as written follow-up arrives within 7 days.
• Virginia: the Serious Medical Condition Certification Form allows two 30-day delays and stays valid for 12 months before renewal.

Some utilities also offer a medical baseline or medical rate program, which bills the extra electricity behind medical equipment at the lowest rate. One caveat applies everywhere: a medical certificate delays a shutoff. It does not erase the balance, and most states require a payment plan next to it.

How long does assistance take?

The answer depends on the type of program and how urgent your situation is.

• Crisis assistance is fast, by law. With a shutoff notice in hand or the power already off, federal law requires states to intervene within 48 hours of an eligible crisis application, and within 18 hours when the situation is life-threatening. A documented medical risk or powered medical equipment in the home can qualify a crisis as life-threatening.
• Standard applications take weeks. Standard applications can take several weeks, though timelines vary by state. Missing documents may delay your application or restart the process.
• Weatherization takes months. Wait times can range from several months to a year in high-demand areas. Weatherization can provide lasting savings, but it is not designed to address an immediate shutoff.
• Some grants have seasonal windows. LIHEAP is a block grant. Each state receives a fixed amount, and seasonal windows close when the season ends or the funds are committed. Heating and cooling often run as separate windows with separate dates, and missing one has no effect on the other.

Managing a health condition and the utility bills at the same time? A Solace advocate folds energy assistance into your care plan.

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What will it cost, and how do you bring the bill down?

Federal utility assistance is grant money, and grants are not repaid. No legitimate program charges an application fee, and anyone who asks for one is running a scam. Stacking multiple forms of assistance can help lower both your immediate bill and your long-term utility costs:

• LIHEAP or your state's assistance lowers the bill in front of you.
• A utility discount or income-based rate lowers every bill after it. CARE in California takes 30% to 35% off electric and 20% off gas, FERA covers households just above CARE limits, and PIPP Plus in Ohio caps payments at a set share of income.
• Weatherization is a semi-permanent fix. Free efficiency upgrades, including heating and cooling repair or replacement, are yours to keep and save households an average of $372 a year.
• Local emergency funds provide short-term support. Groups like the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and community action agencies keep utility funds for urgent bills while other assistance is pending. Dial 2-1-1 to find what is available near you.
• Medical protections can delay disconnection while everything above gets sorted.

What about coverage? Will Medicare pay for utility assistance?

Original Medicare does not pay for an air conditioner or heating unit, because it treats them as environmental equipment rather than durable medical equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer cooling or heating equipment as a Special Supplemental Benefit for the Chronically Ill, with availability varying plan to plan. The bill assistance in this guide applies regardless of your personal insurance plan.

Older adults' energy insecurity rose to about 1 in 4 in 2024, up from roughly 1 in 5 in 2020

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Why do people who qualify still miss out?

Finding and applying for assistance can involve several steps, and even eligible households often encounter the same obstacles:

• Applying to one program and stopping. The programs stack, meaning a household can often combine LIHEAP with a utility discount and weatherization.
• Confusing the heating and cooling windows. Many states run separate applications with different open and close dates. Missing one does not affect eligibility for the other, and some households may not realize they need to apply separately.
• Outdated documents. Income proof older than the program's window or proof that does not match the listed household size leads to a denial.
• Medical letters without the required wording. A doctor's note may not meet the specific certification requirements set by the state or utility. Be sure the required form is completed with the necessary information.
• Skipping automatic eligibility. Households on SNAP, SSI, or TANF can often bypass parts of income verification. Some even qualify automatically.
• Missing the appeal. Federal law requires every state to give denied applicants written notice and a path to appeal. In one recent survey, nearly 1 in 5 of the lowest-income applicants reported being denied, which could have been caused by something as small as a single document error.

Many barriers to receiving assistance come down to paperwork, timing, and coordination rather than eligibility itself.

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What happens after you tap "See If You Qualify"

1. Check your coverage. Answer a few quick questions about your insurance and your health situation.
2. Meet with a Solace physician. A short virtual intro visit, about 20 minutes long. They'll listen to what you're managing and what's getting in the way, then connect you with an advocate who fits your needs.
3. Your advocate takes it from there. They'll get the full picture of your household, your income, and the medical needs in your home, then find every program you qualify for, handle the applications, and follow up until everything is resolved.

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What a Solace Advocate does

Keeping the home at a safe temperature is a health need. For many patients, the challenge is managing the applications, paperwork, and coordination required across multiple programs, on top of everything a health condition already demands. A Solace advocate takes that work on, and for eligible patients, advocacy is covered by Medicare.

• Reviews your eligibility across every relevant program before you apply anywhere, so you know where you stand.
• Works directly with your utility on documentation and disconnection holds, and coordinates with your doctor's office so certification forms are completed with the language your state requires.
• Applies to the right combination of federal, state, and local programs, in the right order.
• Tracks every deadline and resubmits quickly if something goes missing.
• Handles the appeal if a program says no the first time.

About 17% of eligible households receive LIHEAP in a given year. The rest leave the benefit unclaimed, most often because no one walked them through it.

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FAQs

Does Medicare pay for cooling or heating?
Original Medicare doesn't cover air conditioners or heaters; it treats them as comfort or environmental equipment, outside the durable medical equipment benefit. Some Medicare Advantage plans can offer equipment, including portable heaters or AC units, as a Special Supplemental Benefit for the Chronically Ill, though offerings and eligibility vary plan to plan.

What if my power is about to be shut off?
Act before the shutoff date. Ask your utility about its medical certification process if anyone in the home has a health condition, request a payment plan, and apply for LIHEAP crisis assistance, which federal law requires states to resolve within 48 hours for eligible households, or 18 hours in life-threatening situations.

Do renters qualify for utility help?
Yes. Utility discount and percentage-of-income programs are generally open to both homeowners and renters. Weatherization assistance is open to renters with landlord permission.

Is there still help for water bills?

No. The federal LIHWAP program ended nationally on March 31, 2024, after serving about 1.5 million households, and no replacement federal program currently exists. However, your water utility company may have their own hardship program, or you can contact a local Community Action Agency, or 2-1-1 instead.

Do I have to pay any of this back?
Not always. LIHEAP, state utility assistance, and weatherization are grants, and they never charge fees. However, you’ll still be responsible for outstanding bills and the assistance may not cover your entire balance, which is why program stacking is important.

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