Several assistance programs are available to help low-income customers of Reliant Energy. Utility and electric assistance programs can help individuals pay their bills and save money. The company can provide referrals to federal and state programs.
The primary options offered are a payment plan and a moratorium on disconnections. Reliant Energy has temporarily stopped disconnecting utility services for low-income residential customers, seniors, and critical-care customers. To qualify for a moratorium with Reliant, customers must meet certain conditions, including entering into and following a payment plan for past and future electric bills.
The Lite-Up Texas program offers discounts to help customers lower their energy costs. If you are low income, you may be able to get a discount on your air conditioning and cooling bills during the summer. There are a few things that need to happen in order for this to work correctly. To qualify for government assistance, an applicant will need to meet certain income and poverty guidelines. This means that if you are receiving Medicaid or Food Stamps, you will automatically be included in the Lite Up Texas savings program. In order to get energy assistance, you will need to fill out an application and provide supporting documentation to your energy provider. The applicant must be able to demonstrate that they are experiencing financial difficulties and show how much money they need, how much money they have, and what their expenses are. If you would like to speak to a customer service representative, please call 1-888-782-8477.
Utility connection fees can be waived. This service is available to low-income seniors who are 65 years of age or older, and may be offered to others on a very limited basis.
A separate program for paying utility deposits is also available. The Low Income Deposit (LID) Program is a government initiative that helps low-income families save money on their utility bills. The program provides a refundable deposit that families can use to cover the cost of their utility bills. The deposit is refunded to the family when they move out of their home or apartment. Reliant Energy offers assistance to low income customers in their service area. This assistance can help them pay the deposit required to establish electricity service. The deposit may be waived for qualified customers who are seniors aged 60-64, disabled individuals, and/or families with children aged 6 years old or younger. The program is run in partnership with non-profits, including the Ft. Bend and Harris County Social Services, as well as community action agencies across the Reliant Energy service territory.
Reliant Energy’s CARE assistance is a community-based program that helps low-income families and struggling customers who are facing a hardship. Those people who are struggling to make ends meet due to extreme hardship, such as death in the family, loss of income, or emergency illness or medical condition, are given priority.
One-time annual cash assistance may be provided to qualified Reliant Energy customers from the Customer Assistance and Referral Evaluation (CARE) program. There are a few organizations in Texas that help people with their electric bills by giving them money. The different non-profit agencies have different standards for what qualifies as a hardship, so the application process may be different for each one. To find an agency near you, customers can call Reliant, or look up the number in their phone book or search it up online.
CARE is a community program that is funded by private and corporate contributions as well as generous donations from employees, local charities, and customers. The CARE program, which is formally known as Community Assistance from Reliant Energy, is a program that provides individuals with a helping hand during a difficult period in their lives.
Reliant Energy can help people apply for the various federal government programs such as LIHEAP and weatherization. There are two main programs that the federal government and the state of Texas offer that can help you save money on your energy bills. These programs provides grants to help pay your bills, or help you save money through energy conservation measures. Both are for those who are low income, disabled, and elderly.
There are assistance programs available for low income customers and seniors who are struggling to pay their utility bills during the summer. Reliant is committed to helping Texas families during hot weather, as lack of air conditioning or fans can lead to serious medical problems or death. More information on summer assistance programs can be found here.
To learn more about these financial assistance programs, please contact Reliant Energy at 866-222-7100 or 713-207-7777.