Learned that most utility companies have low income assistance programs they don't exactly advertise and I want more people to know this
I want to preface this by saying I spent an embarrassing amount of time just quietly struggling with my electric bill before I accidentally stumbled onto this. I was on the phone with my utility company about a payment arrangement and the rep mentioned almost in passing that I might qualify for their low income rate program. I had been a customer for four years and nobody had ever mentioned this to me once.
I looked into it and my state has a program through the utility itself that reduces your monthly rate by around 30 percent if your income falls below a certain threshold. The application took maybe 20 minutes and required proof of income and a recent bill. I was approved in about ten days. My bill went from around $140 a month to just under $95. That is not nothing.
After that I started digging and found out there are usually several layers of assistance available depending on your state and situation. There's the federal LIHEAP program which helps with heating and cooling costs and a lot of people have no idea it exists. Many gas companies have their own separate discount programs. Some water utilities do too. None of this was information I found easily, I had to look for it, and the utility company certainly wasn't going to bring it up on their own.
If you are struggling with any utility bill right now I would genuinely recomend calling and asking directly if they have a low income rate or assistance program. Some reps won't bring it up unless you ask. Also google your state name plus LIHEAP and your specific utility company name plus "low income program." It takes maybe an hour of research and the savings can be significant and ongoing