Stressed renters can get utility-bill help in Tucson | Business News

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Tenants in financial distress can get help with paying their overdue utility bills from $ 36 million in federal COVID-19 aid directly through Tucson Electric Power and other Arizona utilities.

TEP and its rural sister utility UniSource Energy Services, Arizona Public Service Co., the Salt River Project, and Southwest Gas are working with the Arizona Department of Economic Security to distribute utility aid.

To qualify, participants must be on a rental and have a household income less than or equal to 80% of their median income in the area, which is $ 38,300 for a single person or $ 54,700 for a Pima County family of four amounts to.

Tenants in the TEP area can find out if they are eligible for government assistance by viewing an eligibility table at tep.com/utility-assistance-for-renters or by calling TEP Customer Service at 520-623-7711. Customers can also self-qualify by completing a short online form.

Eligible tenants must prove that their household was affected in the course of the pandemic, which led to a risk of homelessness, residential instability or unsafe living conditions, which are documented, for example, by an eviction notice or an overdue electricity bill.

Once a customer’s eligibility is confirmed, DES will release funds to the utility that will be deposited into the customer’s account.

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