Help with summer cooling bills

Why summer bills spike

Air conditioning can be one of the largest electricity costs in a home during hot months, and a heat wave can push a normal bill much higher within weeks. Older units, leaky windows and an attic that traps heat all make the system work harder. Look at last summer's bills to find your peak month and plan around it. Ask your utility about budget billing so summer costs spread across the year. Ask too whether you are on a time of use rate, where the price depends on when you use power. On that kind of rate, running the dryer, dishwasher and other big appliances in the evening or early morning can help. Know your rate before you change your habits.

LIHEAP cooling help in some states

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is best known for heating help, but the federal program also aims to help households stay cool in the summer. Each state decides whether to offer a cooling benefit, how much it pays and when it opens, so help ranges from nothing to a full summer program depending on where you live. Contact your state LIHEAP office or visit energyhelp.us to ask whether cooling help exists in your state this year and how to apply. If your state has no cooling benefit, ask whether crisis funds can be used in summer when a shutoff is close. Apply early in the season if you can, before the hottest weeks arrive.

Heat shutoff protections are less common

Fewer states protect customers from shutoffs in hot weather than in cold weather. Where they exist, the rules take different forms. Some states block disconnections when the temperature or forecast reaches a set level, such as 95 degrees, or when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or warning. A few use dates instead. Arizona, for example, protects customers from June 1 to October 15. Thresholds and covered customers vary, and these rules generally apply to state regulated utilities rather than city-owned systems or cooperatives. Look up your state's rule on your public utility commission's website and ask your utility directly. A protection delays a shutoff but does not erase the balance, so keep paying what you can.

When someone in the home cannot handle heat

Heat is especially dangerous for older adults, babies, people with heart or lung conditions and anyone who relies on powered medical equipment. Many states have rules that delay a shutoff when a doctor certifies a medical need, and many also protect older or disabled customers. Ask your utility how to file a medical certificate, what the doctor must include and how long it lasts. If your home becomes dangerously hot and you cannot cool it, go to a cooling center, library or other air conditioned public space during the hottest hours. Call 911 if someone shows signs of heat stroke, such as confusion, fainting or a very high body temperature.

Crisis help when a summer shutoff is close

If you get a disconnection notice in summer, act the same way you would in winter: call the utility first, then apply for crisis help. Federal law requires LIHEAP crisis programs to provide some form of assistance within 48 hours after an eligible household applies, and within 18 hours in a life threatening situation. Extreme heat in a home with a vulnerable person can be life threatening, so say so clearly when you apply. Whether your state runs crisis help in summer, and how much it pays, depends on the state. Bring the notice, your latest bill and proof of income. While you wait, ask the utility whether it will hold the shutoff because an application is pending.

Cool the house for less

A few habits can lower cooling costs without much spending. Close blinds and curtains on sunny windows during the day. Use ceiling or box fans to make a room feel cooler so you can set the thermostat a little higher. Clean or replace the air conditioner filter, since a clogged filter makes the unit work harder. Skip the oven on the hottest afternoons and cook outside or use a microwave. Seal gaps around window units with foam or tape. If your home qualifies, the Weatherization Assistance Program from the U.S. Department of Energy can improve insulation and air sealing, which helps in both summer and winter. Apply through your state weatherization office.

Settlemont for a summer electric bill

A high summer electric bill fits Settlemont's Utility category. After you submit it privately, you get a one-time access code and name the electric company in a separate step, so account details never go on a public form. Staff verify the utility, the bill owner and the current balance, and every submission is screened for duplicates and fraud before approval. The approved page lists your first name, state, category and verified amount, and nothing else. Supporters choose how much to help pay toward it, and their support goes directly to the utility. You pay Settlemont nothing. Approval does not promise payment before the due date, so keep your crisis application and any payment plan moving too.

Sources

• Administration for Children and Families: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
• 42 U.S. Code 8623: LIHEAP crisis assistance timelines (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
• LIHEAP Clearinghouse: Hot weather disconnect policies
• LIHEAP Clearinghouse: State disconnect policies
• U.S. Department of Energy: How to apply for weatherization assistance

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