San Tan Valley area households that get their power from SRP and have fallen behind can apply for up to $800 toward their bill.

The money comes from a $5 million fund paid for by SRP and handed out by Wildfire, a Phoenix-based nonprofit, through a network of more than 100 community agencies. Help is first-come, first-served, and it runs until the money is gone.

Who Qualifies

The program is aimed at income-eligible customers who hit a setback: a job loss, a medical emergency, an unexpected expense or another financial hardship.

"No Arizonan should have to choose between cooling their home and paying for food, rent or other basic needs," said Kelly McGowan, Wildfire's executive director. "Through this partnership with SRP, households facing an unexpected financial setback can receive meaningful relief when they need it most."

Applications go through the nonprofit agencies, not through SRP directly. The list of participating agencies is at srp.net/gethelp, or customers can call 602-236-8888, or 602-236-1111 for Spanish.

What to Bring

Having the paperwork ready keeps an application from stalling. Customers will be asked for three things:

• A current SRP bill, or an M-Power Customer Report for customers on the prepay program.
• Proof of identification.
• Documentation of household income or of the financial hardship.

Two Other Programs Worth Knowing About

Households that earn too much for traditional low-income energy assistance may still qualify for Power AZ, a State of Arizona program offering up to $640. It is open to households with incomes up to 100% of the state median income, which is $8,998 a month for a household of four. Information is on the Arizona Department of Economic Security A to Z portal.

Separately, the SRP Income Qualified Discount is an ongoing monthly credit rather than one-time help. Customers with incomes between 0% and 150% of the federal poverty level may qualify for a $35 monthly bill credit. Customers between 151% and 200% may qualify for $10 a month. Customers can contact SRP to find out whether they qualify.

SRP lists its full set of assistance and payment programs at srp.net/heretohelp, or customers can call 602-236-8888, or 602-236-1111 for Spanish.