TAMPA — Hillsborough County will soon be reopening applications for its Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP), offering financial relief to seniors struggling to pay rising electricity bills during the summer heat.
County officials say demand for the program typically increases during the hottest months of the year, when air conditioning use drives up utility costs. This summer has been no exception, with many seniors who are seeking help coming forward with past-due Tampa Electric (TECO) bills between $200 and $600.
“Especially in the summer months where it gets really hot and our energy bills double, those type of decisions usually would have to result in energy cutoff for these seniors,” said Traci Stickney with Hillsborough County Social Services. “Without our intervention, that could lead to hospitalization. It could lead to health and safety risks for our seniors.”
The Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program provides payments directly to utility companies on behalf of eligible households with at least one resident age 60 or older who are in need. The federally funded program is administered locally by Hillsborough County and is designed to help prevent utility shutoffs for low-income seniors.
Similar programs are available in all Tampa Bay Area counties:
Applicants must be Hillsborough County residents, be responsible for paying their home energy bills, provide a recent utility bill, and meet income and other eligibility requirements. Appointments are scheduled through the county’s Community Resource Centers after an eligibility screening.
For the new grant cycle beginning July 1, the county has approximately $270,000 available to help eligible households pay past-due energy bills. From July of last year through this July, more than 2,300 seniors received assistance through the program.
Residents seeking assistance can contact Hillsborough County Social Services at (813) 272-5220 to be screened for eligibility and schedule an appointment. Assistance is available while program funds last.