Help paying utility bills in Florida - guide to programs available
Most of the big utility assistance funds in Florida have confusingly similar names. Florida Power & Light runs Care to Share. Duke Energy runs the Share the Light Fund. Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas run a joint program called Share, OUC and Lakeland Electric each run a Project CARE, and Gainesville and Tallahassee each run a Project SHARE. JEA in Jacksonville calls its fund Neighbor to Neighbor. The names sound alike, but each fund is separate. This page explains what each company offers its customers, and it also covers the statewide government programs that are open to everyone: LIHEAP, EHEAP for seniors, and free weatherization.
The emergency season in Florida is the summer. In most states the dangerous months are winter, but here the biggest bills and most of the shutoff risk come with air conditioning season, and the state's programs are set up for it. Florida's LIHEAP has a cooling season that runs from spring through fall in addition to its heating season. EHEAP gives crisis help when someone in the home is age 60 or older, even if the bill is in another person's name. Several utilities also add protections for customers who need electricity to run medical equipment. The guide starts with those statewide government programs, then covers each company one at a time.
- TIMING MATTERS: Whichever company you have, call them as soon as you fall behind. Every provider in this guide offers payment plans or extensions, and more options are available before a disconnection notice goes out than after.
Statewide programs that may help pay bills or provide energy efficiency updates
LIHEAP — Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Florida's LIHEAP program helps income-qualified households pay heating and cooling bills. It is administered by FloridaCommerce through local community action agencies. The heating season generally runs from October through March, the cooling season from April through September, and crisis assistance is available year round for households facing disconnection.
- Households receiving SNAP, TANF, or SSI are automatically income-eligible. You can apply online at https://floridaliheap.com/ or in person through your local community action agency. To find your local agency, call 850-717-8450. A plain-language walkthrough of eligibility and the application process is on the Florida LIHEAP and weatherization guide.
EHEAP — Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly
EHEAP provides crisis help for households with at least one member age 60 or older. It can pay electric, gas, propane, and other fuel bills, and in some cases deposits, reconnect fees, and late fees. The bill does not need to be in the senior's name, but the senior must be the applicant and show proof of residence.
Some local agencies that used to process EHEAP applications no longer do, and applicants in those areas are now directed to the FloridaLIHEAP.com portal or their local community action agency. The simplest starting point is the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337, which is free and can confirm where seniors in your county apply right now.
Free weatherization
Income-qualified households can get free energy efficiency improvements that lower bills long term, such as insulation, sealing, and in some cases cooling equipment repair or replacement. The program runs through the same community action agencies that handle LIHEAP. Apply through your local agency, or start with the Florida LIHEAP and weatherization guide referenced above for details on what the program covers.
Community action agencies
Community action agencies are the local nonprofits that run LIHEAP, weatherization, and many other aid programs in each region of the state. They are usually the fastest route to government utility help. The full list of agencies, with the counties each one covers, is on the Florida community action agency directory.
Florida Public Service Commission
The PSC regulates most of Florida's utilities and publishes consumer guides on assistance and disconnection rules. Staff can answer questions about billing disputes and point you to programs in your area. Call 800-342-3552 or visit https://www.psc.state.fl.us/.
Assistance by utility company
Programs in this section are for customers of each specific company only.
Clay County Utility Authority
Clay County Utility Authority offers two programs. The Golden Opportunities Plan lets customers age 62 and older, or those with a documented disability, move their bill due date to match the arrival of their fixed income payment. The Lend-A-Helping-Hand program provides a one-time grant toward past-due water or sewer bills for customers hit by a sudden crisis such as job loss, illness, or injury, with priority for seniors, disabled residents, and households with young children. Call 877-476-2282 or see https://clayutility.org/. Program details and application steps are on the NHPB guide to Clay County Utility Authority assistance page.
Clay Electric Cooperative
Clay Electric's Project Share uses member donations to fund emergency bill help, and the local Salvation Army office in each county decides who qualifies. Assistance is generally available once per year. Members who rely on electric-powered life support equipment can also enroll in the co-op's Medically Essential Service program, which adds protections to the account. Contact your local Salvation Army office to apply for Project Share, or call Clay Electric at 800-224-4917 with questions.
City of Leesburg — C.U.R.E.
Leesburg utility customers who hit a sudden hardship, such as a job loss or unexpected illness, can apply to the Citizens Utility Relief Effort. The program provides a modest amount of bill help each year, funded by customer and city donations and administered through local nonprofits. Call customer service at 352-728-9800, weekdays during business hours or see the website at https://www.leesburgflorida.gov/services/utility_services.php.
City of Tallahassee Utilities
Project Share (website: https://www.talgov.com/you/you-products-home-project-share) has operated since 1986 and provides one-time emergency utility payments to eligible City of Tallahassee customers. The Capital Area Community Action Agency runs the screening, and applicants generally need to be age 60 or older, have a documented medical condition or disability, or have lost income due to illness, injury, or disaster. Screenings are generally held weekday mornings at the CACAA office, 309 Office Plaza Drive. Call 850-222-2043.
- The same agency also handles the utility's Good Neighbor Program, which gives income-qualified seniors, families with children under five, and disabled residents living independently a monthly credit on electric service while funds last, along with a free energy audit. Ask about both programs when you call.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy's assistance program is now called the Share the Light Fund. The old name, the Energy Neighbor Fund, was retired, so listings that still use it are out of date. The fund helps residential customers pay for electricity, natural gas, oil, or wood, with donations matched by the Duke Energy Foundation and distributed each month through United Way chapters and other agencies in each county.
Florida Power & Light
Care to Share provides emergency electric bill help to FPL customers in a crisis who are in danger of disconnection or already disconnected. Assistance is available once per 12-month period, and applicants need a delinquent bill or final notice, identification matching the account address, income within the United Way ALICE guidelines for their county, and proof of the crisis. Funds are distributed through partner agencies that vary by county; in Northwest Florida the Salvation Army administers the program.
Florida Public Utilities
Florida Public Utilities does not run its own emergency fund. The company refers customers with past-due natural gas or electric bills to local nonprofits, including the Salvation Army, and offers budget billing and payment plans directly. Contact customer service through https://fpuc.com/customer-care/ for a referral. Additional options for FPU customers are listed on the NHPB guide to Florida Public Utilities assistance page
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority
Project CARE is funded entirely by voluntary customer donations and administered by Mustard Seed Ministries of Fort Pierce. It is meant for FPUA customers who have had a sudden personal or family crisis, and applicants must pay a portion of the bill themselves. Assistance is limited to once per 12-month period and does not cover late fees. To apply, contact Mustard Seed Ministries at 772-465-6021. For payment plans, call FPUA customer service at 772-466-1600, or see the contact website at https://fpua.com/contact-us/.
Gainesville Regional Utilities
GRU's Project SHARE provides emergency grants for electric, gas, or oil bills and can also pay for the repair of essential heating or cooling equipment. Donations are collected by GRU and distributed by Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, and Gainesville Community Ministries, with preference for applicants age 60 or older or those who are disabled and unable to support themselves.
- GRU also offers payment plans, extensions, budget billing, and an energy efficiency program for income-qualified customers. To apply for Project SHARE, contact one of the three partner agencies or call the United Way of North Central Florida at 211 for a referral. GRU customer service is 352-334-3434 and the main site is at https://www.gru.com/.
JEA
JEA's Neighbor to Neighbor Fund, started in 1987, provides temporary utility bill help to Jacksonville-area customers in a short-term financial crisis. Funds come from customer and employee donations, every dollar goes to customers in need, and the United Way of Northeast Florida and Catholic Charities administer the money. Seniors can also call ElderSource at 888-242-4464 for help sorting out which programs fit.
Kissimmee Utility Authority
KUA's Good Neighbor Fund provides emergency electric bill help to customers in a temporary financial crisis. Customer donations are matched dollar for dollar by KUA, and the Osceola Council on Aging administers the fund. The online application is on the Osceola Council on Aging website at https://osceolagenerations.org/kua-good-neighbor-program/. For questions, call KUA at 407-933-9800 or 877-582-7700.
Lake Apopka Natural Gas District
Customers of the Lake Apopka Natural Gas District can also apply for emergency bill help through the Heart of Florida United Way, subject to available funds. Call 211 or start an application at hfuw.org.
Lake Worth Beach Utilities
Lake Worth Beach Utilities raises emergency assistance money through voluntary customer and business donations as part of the Share to Care program. The local Salvation Army determines eligibility and distributes the funds. Customers facing a hardship should contact the Salvation Army in Palm Beach County at 561-533-7300. Utility customer service information is at https://utilities.lakeworthbeachfl.gov/.
Lakeland Electric
Project Care provides electric bill help to Lakeland Electric customers who are age 61 or older or who have a household member with a disability. Catholic Charities of Central Florida distributes the funds, which come from customer donations and a round-up option on monthly bills. Call 863-834-9535 for assistance or information or see https://lakelandelectric.com/billing-and-payment.
Ocala Electric Utility
Neighbors Who Care is funded by voluntary customer contributions and distributed through local charities to OEU customers who cannot maintain service because of a financial hardship or short-term emergency. Local organizations such as Brother's Keeper in Ocala handle much of the assistance for city utility customers. Call OEU customer service at 352-629-2489 to ask where to apply - or see the site at https://www.ocalafl.gov/government/electric-utility.
Orlando Utilities Commission
OUC's Project CARE, running since 1994, provides one-time utility assistance in a 12-month period for customers in Orange and Osceola counties facing a temporary hardship. The Heart of Florida United Way administers the program. To check eligibility, dial 211, fill out the form at https://www.hfuw.org/, or text your zip code to 898-211.
- OUC also offers a medically essential service program for customers who depend on life-sustaining equipment such as oxygen concentrators or dialysis machines, along with Power Pass, a pay-as-you-go billing option with no deposit. Payment extensions may be provided too. For emergency energy help for seniors age 60 and older, contact ElderSource at 407-846-8532 or 800-963-5337. OUC customer service is 407-423-9018 or see https://www.ouc.com/customer-service/residential-assistance/.
Peoples Gas
Peoples Gas, Florida's largest natural gas utility, runs the Share program jointly with Tampa Electric. Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army, and the Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg administer the funds. Applicants need a current account number, identification matching the account address, and a delinquent bill or final notice.
SECO Energy
SECO's assistance fund, formerly called the Angel Fund and later Pennies from Heaven, now operates as the SECO Energy Foundation. Member donations, mostly from bills rounded up to the nearest dollar, fund bill payment help distributed through Florida 211 and local social service agencies. SECO also runs a Medically Necessary Service program for members who depend on powered medical equipment, and payment arrangements can be requested by phone or through the SmartHub account system.
- To find help, call 211 or use the Find Bill Payment Help map at https://secoenergy.com/, which shows the agencies in each county that receive foundation funding. SECO customer service is 352-793-3801.
Tampa Electric
Tampa Electric's Share program matches donations from customers, employees, and the company, and in a typical year it helps thousands of households pay energy bills. Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army, and the Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg administer the funds. You will need a current account number, identification matching the account address, and a delinquent bill or final notice.
City of Winter Park utilities
Winter Park electric customers behind on a bill can apply for emergency assistance through the Heart of Florida United Way, the same agency that runs OUC's Project CARE. Assistance is limited per household in a 12-month period and covers overdue bills only, not deposits. Call 211 or apply through hfuw.org.
If your utility company is not listed
Call 211 first. Florida 211 tracks which local agencies currently have utility funds, and it covers every county in the state. The Florida Public Service Commission also publishes a consumer guide with assistance contacts for every electric utility, including the smaller rural cooperatives. For programs that work statewide regardless of your provider, see the government programs section above, or review the broader list of electric bill assistance programs across the country.
Community forum - local and statewide tips
Residents share what worked for them, which agencies had funds, and other tips. For community-led advice visit the forum on Florida utility assistance programs. The forum is free to use and moderated. There you will find comments, suggestions and possible resources listed by other residents.
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