Arizona sees October surge in demand for utility assistance as shut-offs resume

Organizations that offer utility assistance to low-income Arizonans see a surge in demand this time of year.

The Arizona Corporation Commission bars many of the state’s power companies, including APS from disconnecting customers June 1 through Oct. 15 so that Arizonans are not left without air conditioning during dangerous heat. SRP, which is not regulated by the commission, won’t disconnect customers for nonpayment July through August, or anytime there’s an excessive heat warning in effect.

“We’ve already started to see an increase in people reaching out to us asking about the utility assistance programs we run,” said Phillip Scharf, CEO of the Tempe Community Action Agency.

Scharf said other Arizona community action agencies report similar surges in October.

Scharf said some low-income Arizonans aren’t aware of the summer utility shut-off moratoriums, so they are surprised by how much they owe when fall arrives. But he said in most cases, the people his organization serves simply can’t keep up with the huge cost of cooling a home through an Arizona summer.

“People living in the low-income scenario oftentimes have ginormous electrical bills because of the fact that their facilities are not built to maintain the heat,” Scharf said. “People are coming into October with a $1,600 power bill that they’re bringing to us. That’s just become the new experience for us in October.”

He said higher utility rates and federal cuts to food assistance and other programs for lower-income people are putting even more strain on household budgets this year.

“We expect to see more people this year than we saw last year, and with bigger bills,” Scharf said.

Scharf said Community Action Agencies receive some support from utility companies. APS recently announced an additional $3 million of shareholder funds to organizations for utility assistance and heat relief programs, for example.

Scharf said his organization carefully plans to be prepared to handle a spike in need in October.

“We become very thoughtful about how we’re spending our money so we have the available funds for this time period,” Scharf said.

But, he added, for Arizonans wanting to help, this is an important time of year to consider volunteering or donating to local charitable organizations.