If you live in Philadelphia and can’t keep up with your gas, electric, or water bill, utility assistance programs in Philadelphia can lower your monthly charges, forgive past-due balances, and stop a shutoff. Most of this help is open to households earning at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Some programs run only in winter; others set a reduced rate you keep year-round as long as you stay enrolled.
Heating Help Through LIHEAP
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is the main source of help with heating costs. In Pennsylvania, LIHEAP pays a cash benefit directly to your utility or fuel dealer to reduce what you owe for winter heat.1USAGov. Get Help With Energy Bills You don’t receive the money yourself; it’s credited to your account. The current season runs from December 3, 2025 through May 8, 2026. Applications filed after that window wait until the next season opens.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
If you’ve already lost heat or are about to, apply for LIHEAP Crisis instead. Crisis covers emergencies like fuel shortages, broken furnaces, and imminent shutoffs.3Administration for Children and Families. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Timelines are tight. A household with no heat and a life-threatening medical situation should get help within 18 hours of a complete application. Other households without heat should be helped within 48 hours. If you’re low on fuel or holding a shutoff notice, the county assistance office aims to act within 10 business days or before the shutoff date, whichever comes first.4Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Crisis Application Process
Ongoing Discount Programs for Gas and Electric
LIHEAP is a seasonal payment. Two utility-run programs give you an ongoing monthly discount for as long as you remain enrolled and income-eligible.
PGW Customer Responsibility Program
Philadelphia Gas Works runs the Customer Responsibility Program for natural gas customers. Instead of paying based on your actual gas usage, you pay a fixed, reduced monthly amount tied to your household size and gross income. Some participants pay as little as $25 a month.5Philadelphia Gas Works. Customer Responsibility Program CRP also forgives existing past-due balances and shields you from late fees. You qualify at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.6Philadelphia Gas Works. PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program Offers Immediate Financial Relief for Low-Income Customers
Watch out for one trap: if you drop out of CRP and want back in later, you’ll have to pay a “cure amount” covering any past-due CRP bills, plus a reconnection fee, before you can re-enroll.5Philadelphia Gas Works. Customer Responsibility Program Staying enrolled consistently is worth more than it looks on paper.
PECO Customer Assistance Program
PECO’s version, now structured as a Percentage of Income Payment Plan (CAP-PIPP), works the same way for electric customers. You pay a fixed monthly amount based on a percentage of your household income, and PECO charges you the lesser of that amount or your actual usage. Household income must be at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.7PECO. Customer Assistance Program – Percentage of Income Payment Plan (CAP-PIPP)
Water Bill Help
The Philadelphia Water Department runs its own assistance system, separate from the energy programs.
Tiered Assistance Program
TAP sets a reduced monthly water bill based on a percentage of your household income:8City of Philadelphia. Tiered Assistance Program
- 0 to 50% of FPL: 2% of your monthly income (minimum $12 per month)
- 51 to 100% of FPL: 2.5% of your monthly income
- 101 to 150% of FPL: 3% of your monthly income
- Special Hardship tier: 4% of your monthly income, for households slightly above 150% FPL with documented hardship
TAP also forgives debt. Each time you pay a TAP bill in full, one twenty-fourth of your principal debt is forgiven. After 24 full on-time payments, all remaining principal and all penalty debt are wiped out.9City of Philadelphia. TAP Debt Forgiveness Partial payments count toward that counter only once they add up to the full bill amount.
Senior Citizen Discount
Residents 65 or older with a total household income of $38,800 or less get 25% off their water bill. You must live at the service address and have the bill in your name.10City of Philadelphia. Qualifying Philly Seniors Get 25% Off Water Bills A single application at cap.phila.gov covers all Water Department programs, so you can be considered for TAP and the Senior Discount at once.11Philadelphia Water Department. Water Customer Assistance
Emergency Grants Through UESF
The Utility Emergency Services Fund is a nonprofit-run program for households that have already used other options. UESF provides a one-time grant meant to bring your delinquent utility account to zero. The grant, combined with a matching credit from the utility and anything you contribute, has to fully clear the past-due amount. If your balance is larger than the maximum grant, you cover the rest.12UESF. Utility Grant Program It works best when your past-due amount is small enough for the grant to actually zero it out.
Weatherization to Lower Future Bills
Reducing what you owe month after month often matters more than a single grant. The Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation administers the Weatherization Assistance Program, which pays for free energy efficiency work on eligible homes. After a free energy audit, your property can receive insulation, air-sealing, a hot water heater replacement, heating system repairs, window and door weather-stripping, or a refrigerator replacement.13PHDC. Weatherization
Income limits are higher than for the bill-payment programs. A single-person household can earn up to $31,920 a year, and a four-person household up to $66,000.13PHDC. Weatherization You must live in the property, and each property can only be weatherized once every 15 years.
Who Qualifies
Nearly every program here starts with household income measured against the Federal Poverty Level, which adjusts yearly by household size. Gross income (before taxes or deductions) counts, and everyone living in the home is counted.
- LIHEAP heating grants and crisis: at or below 150% FPL. For 2025–2026, that’s roughly $23,940 for one person and roughly $49,500 for a family of four.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- PGW Customer Responsibility Program: at or below 150% FPL.6Philadelphia Gas Works. PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program Offers Immediate Financial Relief for Low-Income Customers
- PECO Customer Assistance Program: at or below 150% FPL.7PECO. Customer Assistance Program – Percentage of Income Payment Plan (CAP-PIPP)
- Water TAP: at or below 150% FPL, with the Special Hardship tier above.8City of Philadelphia. Tiered Assistance Program
- Weatherization: higher limits, roughly 200% FPL.13PHDC. Weatherization
You must be a Philadelphia resident and the person responsible for the utility bill at your address.
Winter Shutoff Protections and Medical Certificates
Even if you haven’t applied for help yet, Pennsylvania law blocks many winter shutoffs. From December 1 through March 31, electric and gas utilities cannot terminate service to a household at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. Water utilities cannot terminate heat-related service to any customer during that window, regardless of income.14Pennsylvania Code. 52 Pa. Code 56.100 – Winter Termination Procedures
PGW, as a city-owned gas utility, follows slightly different rules. After January 1, PGW can terminate service to customers with household income between 150% and 250% FPL if they haven’t paid at least 50% of each of the prior two months’ charges. That authority does not apply if anyone in your household is 65 or older, 12 or younger, or has a medical certification.14Pennsylvania Code. 52 Pa. Code 56.100 – Winter Termination Procedures
About that medical certification: if someone in your home has a condition that would worsen without utility service, a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner can sign a medical certificate that postpones shutoff for 30 days. You can renew it for additional 30-day periods. You still owe current bills while it’s active, and a utility can refuse more than two certificates if you aren’t paying current charges.15Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Standard Medical Certificate Guidance This protection runs year-round, not just in winter.
How to Apply
Each program has its own application, but the paperwork overlaps a lot.
What to Gather
- Social Security numbers for everyone in the household.16Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. 2025-26 Application for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Proof of income for every household member: pay stubs, Social Security award letters, unemployment determination letters, or employer statements.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Proof of address: a lease, deed, or government-issued ID at your service address.
- Recent utility bills showing your account number and current balance.
Use gross income figures. If you receive SSI, SSDI, or unemployment, use the official award letters rather than bank statements.
Where to Submit
File LIHEAP online through the Pennsylvania COMPASS portal, by mail, or in person at your county assistance office.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Enroll in PGW CRP at pgworks.com/crp; eligible customers can be enrolled within days of completing the process.6Philadelphia Gas Works. PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program Offers Immediate Financial Relief for Low-Income Customers PECO handles CAP enrollment through its own customer service channels. The Water Department uses a single application for all its programs at cap.phila.gov.11Philadelphia Water Department. Water Customer Assistance
Without reliable internet, you can hand-deliver applications to the Philadelphia County Assistance Office or drop them at utility customer service centers. If you’re close to a deadline or facing an active shutoff, certified mail gives you a dated receipt.
If You’re Denied
A denial isn’t the end. Federal law requires states administering LIHEAP to offer a fair hearing to anyone whose application is denied or not acted on within a reasonable time. You have the right to a formal review, to see the evidence used in the decision, and to have legal representation at the hearing.17Administration for Children and Families. LIHEAP Requirements Your denial letter explains how to request one, and the window is usually short.
For PGW CRP or PECO CAP, contact the utility directly if you think the decision was wrong. Mistakes in income calculation or household size are among the most common reasons for an incorrect denial, and fixing the paperwork is often faster than a formal appeal. Community Legal Services of Philadelphia handles utility disputes and can walk you through the options at no cost.