Renters who have faced financial hardship can get help paying their past-due utility bills from $36 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding directly through Tucson Electric Power and other Arizona utilities.
TEP and sister rural utility UniSource Energy Services, Arizona Public Service Co., the Salt River Project and Southwest Gas are partnering with the Arizona Department of Economic Security to distribute the utility aid.
To qualify, participants must rent and have a household income less than or equal to 80% of their area median income, which is $38,300 for a single person or $54,700 for a family of four in Pima County.
Renters in TEP territory can find out if they qualify for federal assistance by referencing an eligibility table at tep.com/utility-assistance-for-renters or by calling TEP customer service at 520-623-7711. Customers also can self-qualify by completing a brief online form.
Eligible renters must show their household was affected through the course of the pandemic, resulting in a risk of homelessness, housing instability or unsafe living conditions documented by things such as an eviction notice or past-due utility bill.
Once a customer’s eligibility is confirmed, DES will release funds to the utility to apply to the customer’s account.
Customers also may qualify for funding to pay future utility bills, said TEP, which is informing renters about the availability of the bill assistance through area food banks, emails, newsletters and a note on billing statements.
DES said that after the initial pilot of qualifying eligible renters for assistance, the agency intends to expand the model to all utility providers statewide.
Eligible households may receive up to $3,500 per month in combined rent and utility assistance for a maximum of 18 months, or a total of $63,000 in benefits paid.
More information on the program, including how to apply for assistance with rent payments, is available at des.az.gov/ERAP.
