Need help paying an Arizona electric bill?
Official sources checked September 11, 2026
These official sources support the information in this guide.
Start with two separate steps
Contact your utility about the account, and check assistance options. If you have a shut-off notice, your power is already off, or prepaid credit is running low, explain that at the start of the call.
Ask the utility to confirm what must happen to keep or restore service. An application confirmation is not confirmation that your utility has paused collection or disconnection.
1. Contact the company on your bill
A payment extension gives you more time. A payment arrangement divides an existing balance into installments. Ask what you would owe each month, including new electricity charges, before accepting a plan.
APS
Ask about arrangement eligibility or an existing arrangement you cannot afford. APS says new monthly charges remain due alongside the installment.
APS payment arrangements and helpSRP
Call about a payment plan, an extension, or a referral to a Customer Resource Counselor. SRP lists assistance contacts by community.
SRP financial assistanceTucson Electric Power (TEP)
Ask about an extension or payment arrangement. TEP also lists agencies for short-term bill assistance and its Lifeline discount program.
TEP payment assistanceUniSource
Ask about an extension, arrangement, or community assistance. UniSource lists CARES discounts with separate requirements for electric and gas customers.
UniSource payment assistanceAnother utility or a cooperative? Use the customer-service number printed on your bill and ask about its own options. These four companies do not cover every Arizona address.
Contacts and guidance checked September 4, 2026. Your provider must confirm your account status, available terms and any applicable disconnection protections; this guide does not determine them.
SRP customers: discounts and help near you
Hardship assistance: up to $800 announced for summer 2026
In its August 31, 2026 announcement, SRP describes help for income-eligible customers facing a job loss, medical emergency, unexpected expense or other financial hardship. SRP funds the program; Wildfire administers it through community nonprofit agencies.
Check availability before counting on it. Assistance is first-come, first-served while funding lasts. The announcement does not confirm that funds remain today, and $800 is a maximum, not a guaranteed payment.
Use the SRP assistance directory or call 602-236-8888 (602-236-1111 for Spanish) to find a participating agency. Ask whether it is accepting applications for this program.
Have a current SRP bill or M-Power Customer Report, identification, and documents showing household income or financial hardship ready. Confirm the agency’s requirements before submitting them.
SRP’s local assistance directory brings several kinds of help together. Start with the option that fits your need:
- Help in your community: open the directory and choose your city. Contact the listed organization to confirm that it serves your address, has funding and accepts applications.
- A monthly bill discount: use our SRP Income-Qualified Discount application guide to prepare your information and find SRP’s current rules, application routes and follow-up steps.
- Help making your home more energy efficient: the directory links to Weatherization Assistance, which helps eligible households improve their homes and reduce energy costs.
- Food, housing or a place to cool down: it also links to 211 Arizona and heat-relief resources. Check the location’s current hours and services before traveling.
Eligibility and availability vary by program. For help finding a starting point, call SRP at 602-236-8888 and ask for a Customer Resource Counselor.
This section checked September 11, 2026 against SRP’s announcement, directory and financial-assistance page. Other program checks on this page retain their separate dates.
2. Check LIHEAP and Power AZ
LIHEAP helps eligible households with heating and cooling costs. Power AZ extends assistance to households above LIHEAP's income limit. Arizona DES screens one combined application for both. Check the current household-size and income rules on the DES program page; receiving help is not guaranteed.
Start online through the application link on that DES page, or use its paper-application instructions. For application help, call 866-494-1981 or find a local office in the DES Community Action Agency directory.
Gather these before applying
- Your current utility bill and any disconnection notice.
- Photo identification and requested citizenship or immigration documents.
- Income records. DES may use existing records for households receiving its Nutrition or Cash Assistance benefits.
DES lists these documents in its application instructions. Submit them to the official program or assisting agency, not to AZ Energy Hub.
Prepaid service or an urgent notice? Tell DES or your assisting agency what notice you received and how much prepaid energy remains. Its crisis-assistance guidance sets additional conditions and requires verification. Ask which route applies instead of assuming a regular application will address an urgent deadline.
3. Leave the call with a specific next step
These are our suggested questions, not a promise of what a provider will offer. Keep the answers with your bill:
- “What is overdue, and what new charges are also due?”
- “What must I pay, by which date, to keep or restore service?”
- “Can you offer an extension or installments? What is the total monthly payment?”
- “If I apply for assistance, do you need a confirmation from the agency? Is there any hold on my account, and when does it end?”
- “If I cannot afford that amount, which counselor or local agency should I contact next?”
Write down the date, reference number, payment dates and next contact. If you are sent to an agency, confirm that it serves your address and ask what documents or appointment it needs.
Common questions
Is a payment arrangement the same as bill assistance?
No. A payment arrangement spreads repayment of an existing balance. For example, APS requires the arrangement payment plus new monthly charges. Financial assistance is a separate application for help paying eligible costs; approval and available funding are not guaranteed.
Source: APS arrangement guidance.
Can I apply for both LIHEAP and Power AZ?
DES uses one combined application to check both programs. You cannot receive standard benefits from both within the same eligibility period. Power AZ has a higher income limit; DES determines which program, if any, you qualify for.
Source: DES applicant questions.
What if I live on Tribal land?
DES says to apply through your Tribal Social Service office first. If help is denied, unavailable, or leaves a remaining utility balance, its FAQ explains how to apply through DES and which Tribal LIHEAP statement to provide.
Source: DES applicant questions.
After the immediate bill is addressed
For a later review of flexible appliance timing, use the APS hours guide or SRP plan checker. Those tools cannot repay an overdue balance or establish assistance eligibility. Our source ledger records this guide's official references and check date.