Here's 4 ways Tampa Bay residents can get help paying their utility bills - Tampa Bay Times

Here’s 4 ways Tampa Bay residents can get help paying their utility bills

Last week marked the hottest week recorded on Earth, according to data from the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer.

As the planet broke the record for the hottest day in known history three days in a row, Tampa Bay dealt with consecutive days of heat advisories and heat indices climbing to 110 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Not even the ocean offered relief from the heat, with some water temperatures offshore of Everglades National Park approaching 97 degrees.

People are heading indoors to seek relief from the heat but when temperatures soar, electricity bills follow suit.

High temperatures cause air conditioners to work overtime and drive up utility costs, according to Florida Power & Light.

Beyond hot weather, rising energy costs contribute to expensive utility bills. Electricity prices rose 14.3% from 2021 to 2022, according to Consumer Price Index data.

About 20.5 million American households, or one out of six families, were behind on their electricity bills as of January, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association.

Here are four programs helping Tampa Bay residents afford to keep their homes cool this summer.

Duke Energy’s Share the Light Fund

Duke Energy residential customers with past-due bills, unpaid utility service deposits or unpaid reconnection charges qualify for the company’s Share the Light Fund, Duke Energy spokesperson Ana Gibbs said.

The Share the Light Fund provides one-time financial assistance to help customers pay energy bills, deposits and utility connection or reconnection charges. The fund gave more than $1 million in assistance to more than 2,650 households in 2022, Gibbs said.

Duke Energy partners with local agencies such as Salvation Army chapters and religious organizations to distribute the money to customers. There are 10 community partners located across Pasco and Pinellas counties and each county’s list of Share the Light partners and their contact information can be found on the Duke Energy website.

Gibbs encouraged customers to visit Duke Energy’s webpage dedicated to managing higher seasonal energy bills and call customer service. She said the Share the Light Fund is one of many strategies Duke Energy uses to help customers afford to cool their homes in the hot summer months.

“At Duke Energy, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution,” Gibbs said. “It’s important to share there are different tools, tips and assistance customers can receive through Duke that can help pay or lower energy bills.”

Other strategies include changing the customer’s monthly billing date to accommodate when they receive paychecks, setting up an installment plan to allow customers to pay their bills over a longer period of time and switching to a budget billing program that evens out monthly bill payments to prevent unpredictably expensive summer bills.

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The fund raises money from donations, with Duke Energy matching every donation up to $500,000. Duke Energy also donates $1,000 to the Share the Light fund every time the Rays win a regular season game.

Tampa Electric Co.’s Share Fund

Tampa Electric Co. customers in crisis can receive up to $450 in financial assistance once per year through the company’s Share program.

The Share program donated more than $1.4 million to more than 3,300 households in 2022, according to the TECO website.

In order to qualify, TECO customers must have received a final notice of payment due and be able to demonstrate a personal or family crisis inhibiting their ability to pay their electricity bills, according to the

“The Share program is meant to provide one-time help for customers in crisis,” TECO spokesperson Cheri Jacobs said.

While TECO manages the fund, community partners Salvation Army and Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg administer the program. Customers struggling to pay their electricity bills can call either of the community partners or apply for assistance on the CCDOSP website. Jacobs said customers can also call 211, a national hotline connecting callers with local resources.

Donations fund the Share program, with TECO matching donations up to $500,000.

TECO has seen an increase in Share application in 2023 as temperatures and prices rise, Jacobs said.

“The biggest driver of your power bill is the weather and, of course, summer in Florida is challenging,” Jacobs said. “We absolutely understand people’s dilemma.”

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Low-income households undergoing an energy crisis, including an inability to heat and cool their home, can apply for the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Households with a total income equal to or below 60% of the State Median Income qualify to receive assistance. For instance, a 1-person household has to make $27,735 per year or less while a 2-person household has to make $36,269 per year or less, according to the Florida Commerce website. Anyone who already receives other low-income government assistance programs such as SNAP, SSI and TANF automatically qualifies for energy assistance.

Florida state government provides grants to local governments and non-profits that distribute the funds. People in need of energy assistance can find their local Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program agency on Florida Commerce’s list of program providers.

Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program

Low-income households with at least one 60-year-old or older resident can receive up to $5,000 in energy bill assistance multiple times per year from the federal Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program.

In order to qualify for the program, the household’s total income must fall at or below 60% of the State Median Income. Funds can be used to address home energy emergencies including delinquent utility bills, lack of fuel or shut-off notices.

The federal government sends funds to Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs, which then distributes the funds to local organizations contracted to administer the program, according to the Department of Elder Affairs website. The organizations make payments directly to the energy provider companies, but households can also receive vouchers for portable fans, portable heaters and blankets.

Senior Connection Center Inc. administers the program to Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee and Highlands counties, the center’s Chief Operating Officer Katie Parkinson said.

Parkinson recommended seniors experiencing an energy crisis call the Aging and Disability Resource Center Hotline at 1-800-963-5337 to be connected with the local agency contracted to serve their area.

“It’s critical we put a network together to help support our older adults so they can continue to remain in the community and thrive and have their needs be met,” Parkinson said.