READY TO USE
Client got a utility shutoff notice
A client has an electric, gas, or water shutoff notice, or service is already off.
What changed
Recent change
APS pauses residential nonpayment disconnections through October 15 and when the forecast is 95°F or higher. SRP’s July and August pause has ended, but weather-warning protections may still apply. Charges still build up.
Start here
Do this today
- 1
Read the notice. Write down the utility, amount due, shutoff date, and account holder’s name.
- 2
Call the utility today. Ask about a hold, payment arrangement, discount, and crisis help. Charges can keep building during a heat hold.
- 3
Use the correct local assistance route. Phoenix has its own program. Mesa and Glendale also have separate routes.
- 4
Gather the notice, recent bills, photo ID, and proof of household income before the appointment.
- 5
If there is no appointment or funding, ask when to try again and use the backup door below.
Real starting points
Who to call
APS payment and crisis help
- Hours
- Payment-arrangement help: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Who qualifies
- APS residential customers. Payment arrangements may be available for balances of $75 or more. Discount and crisis programs have income and other rules.
- Next step
- Open the PHX Good record to compare APS payment arrangements, Energy Support, Crisis Bill Assistance, and APS CARE.
SRP Customer Resource Counseling
- Phone
- 602-236-8888
- Hours
- Customer Resource Counseling: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Who qualifies
- SRP residential customers who need help with a balance or payment plan. Options depend on the account.
- Next step
- Call and ask what payment or assistance option fits this account.
City of Phoenix emergency utility assistance
- Hours
- Appointment-line hours were not listed on the checked page.
- Who qualifies
- Phoenix residents in a crisis. The program checks its own eligibility and funding rules.
- Next step
- Call for an appointment or use the City of Phoenix Human Services portal.
Maricopa County utility assistance
- Phone
- 602-506-0589
- Hours
- Office hours depend on the local Community Action Program office.
- Who qualifies
- Maricopa County households outside Phoenix, Mesa, and Glendale. The program may ask for citizenship or qualified noncitizen verification.
- Next step
- Call, use the county client portal, or contact the Community Action Program office for the client’s address.
Area Agency on Aging Senior HELP LINE
- Hours
- 24 hours
- Who qualifies
- Older adults, adults with disabilities, caregivers, and people helping them can call for navigation.
- Next step
- Use this line when age or disability creates another barrier, or the first utility route does not work.
Use the service address
Where you live matters
City of Phoenix
Use City of Phoenix Human Services. Call 602-534-2433 or 1-866-882-1778, or use cophsdfsc.communityos.org.
Rest of Maricopa County
Outside Phoenix, Mesa, and Glendale, call Maricopa County at 602-506-0589 or use hsdclientportal.maricopa.gov. Mesa and Glendale have separate city programs that still need a current check.
Get ready
What to bring
- Shutoff notice and recent gas, electric, and water bills
- Photo ID for the account holder
- Proof of household income for the last 30 days
- Utility account number and payment history, if available
- Citizenship or qualified noncitizen documents if the program asks for them
Avoid a dead end
What usually goes wrong
- Calling the wrong city or county office for the service address
- Treating a summer heat hold as bill payment. The balance still grows.
- Waiting until the shutoff date to ask the utility for an arrangement
- Sending the client to an office without checking appointments and funding
- Assuming an application stops a shutoff. Confirm any hold with the utility.
Use your own words
What to say
I’m helping someone with a shutoff notice dated [date]. The balance is [amount]. What can stop the shutoff today? Please check payment arrangements, discounts, and crisis assistance. What confirmation number or next step should we write down?
Check the fit
If your client is...
65+
Call the 24-hour Senior HELP LINE if age, health, or mobility makes the regular route harder.
Families with kids
Tell the utility and assistance program that children live in the home. Ask whether that changes the review or documents needed.
Veterans
Ask whether a veteran-specific emergency fund can help after the utility and local assistance calls.
Disability
Ask for a reasonable communication accommodation. Explain any health and safety risk from losing power.
Has a record
A record does not change which utility or local office serves the address. Do not assume it makes the client ineligible.
Limited English
Ask the utility and public office for an interpreter before discussing the account.
Youth 18 to 24
Check whose name is on the bill and whether the young adult can show income and address documents.
Keep a second door open
If this fails
Call 211 Arizona for another current utility-assistance route, then call the utility back with any new program name. If electricity is already off and there is an immediate medical or safety danger, use the appropriate emergency service.
Practice itOne scenario, about 15 minutes
Jordan is helping a Phoenix renter. The APS notice says service may be disconnected in four days. Two children live in the home. The client has photo ID but has not collected income records.
- What is the first call?
Call APS with the notice in hand. Ask about a hold, arrangement, discount, and crisis help.
- Which local route applies?
Use the City of Phoenix emergency utility assistance route because the service address is in Phoenix.
- What should happen before the appointment?
Collect 30 days of income records and recent utility bills. Confirm exactly what the city asks the household to bring.
After-action review
- What was supposed to happen?
- What happened?
- Why was there a difference?
- What will you do differently?