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APS Expands Support For Community and Utility Bill Assistance Programs
Additional $3 million for customer AC repairs and replacements, crisis bill assistance, and heat relief awareness events
PHOENIX – Arizona Public Service (APS) is expanding its community support efforts this year to nonprofits that offer utility bill assistance, air conditioner repair and replacement and housing support. APS is in the process of granting an additional $3 million of shareholder funds to organizations who help Arizonans with these and other heat relief programs.
These efforts are part of a broader, ongoing collaboration between APS and groups like St. Vincent de Paul, AllThrive 365, Chicanos Por La Causa, the American Red Cross, Maricopa County Human Services and Wildfire to help Arizonans in need.
Those needs are great—and growing. Summer of 2025 ended as the fourth hottest summer on record in the Phoenix area. While summer is winding down, some customers continue to face economic hardships that make it a challenge for some to pay their bills or make repairs to vital heating and cooling equipment. APS’s commitment is to learn and act in partnership with those providing direct services to help those in need.
"We know some of our neighbors are still feeling the strain of another summer of extreme weather," said Ted Geisler, APS President and CEO. "We are partnering with community nonprofits who can provide critically needed assistance directly to those who need it most. By working together, we can reach more customers to keep them safe and comfortable."
“APS’s support comes at a time when the stakes couldn’t be higher,” said Tami Bohannon, President & CEO, AllThrive 365. “With record-breaking heat and shrinking federal resources, too many Arizonans are facing dangerous conditions without access to safe, reliable cooling. APS’s investment in AllThrive 365’s Healthy Homes AC program helps us respond to this public health emergency — ensuring older adults, families, and individuals with disabilities aren’t left behind.”
- Crisis Bill Assistance Expanded: APS is providing $2 million to Wildfire, Chicanos Por La Causa and Maricopa County Human Services to provide up to $1,000 in help to qualified customers in a temporary financial bind to help cover energy bills. The funds are expected to help roughly 3,200 individuals. Additional information here.
- Air Conditioning Repair and Replacement Programs: Funding with AllThrive 365 and Wildfire helps repair or replace HVAC units for low-income homeowners. AllThrive 365 serves La Paz, Maricopa, Pinal, Yavapai and Yuma counties, while Wildfire’s program covers all of Arizona. The APS support of $500,000 is estimated to help around 40-45 households receive AC assistance.
- C.O.O.L. Neighborhood Activation Program: APS has provided $60,000 to Wildfire. It intends to use the money on a pilot program to build strong community networks by encouraging neighbors to check on vulnerable residents and connect them with assistance programs. This program is expected to roll out next year, ahead of the summer.
- American Red Cross Heat Awareness Campaign: An additional $60,000 will be provided to the American Red Cross. The agency supports door-to-door canvassing events to hand out heat relief flyers, share safety tips and provide heat relief kits when needed.
- Eviction Protection: St. Vincent de Paul, helps individuals and families stay safe at home through eviction-prevention assistance. APS will give $500,000 to the organization, which is enough to help 400 households or 1,000 individuals facing a housing crisis.
APS has provided $6.1 million to support heat relief efforts in Arizona since 2021, inclusive of this contribution and previously pledged $2.5 million for Crisis Bill Assistance this year. In May 2025, APS committed $1 million and championed financial support from other organizations to keep 211 Arizona operational. 211 Arizona is a 24/7 live operating system that connects Arizonans in need of critical services like housing support, heat relief, food assistance, and transportation.
APS Customer Support to Manage Energy Costs
While the summer disconnection moratorium ends on October 15 – a period when past due bills are typically highest – customers who need additional assistance can turn to APS for support. Flexible payment arrangements are available for those who need more time to pay their balance, along with the option to select the date they’d prefer to pay their bill each month, to align better with their schedule.
A few additional tips and programs:
- One way for customers to lower bills is to make sure they’re on their lowest-cost rate plan. Most APS customers can find out which plan would have saved them the most money by looking at the Monthly Plan Comparison on their printed bill, logging in to their online account or going to aps.com/compare. The Monthly Plan Comparison shows how much customers would have paid on different plans based on past energy use, making it easy to compare costs and save.
- Budget Billing can help take out the seasonal swings of summer billing by leveling payments throughout the year. This makes it easy for customers to know what their APS bill will be every month. Visit aps.com/budgetbilling.
- APS Energy Support program offers tiered monthly discounts for qualified customers. Some may receive up to 25% or 60% off their monthly energy bills based on household income level, the largest limited income customer bill discount in the state. See if you qualify here.
There are two APS programs that allow friends and families to look over vulnerable loved ones by receiving notifications if bills are unpaid, and allowing access to help, if needed.
- Safety Net – Safety Net partners will receive a copy of the monthly energy bill, so they know when payment is due and receive notifications if a payment is past-due. Safety Net partners can also create a payment arrangement to give the customer more time to pay down a balance.
- Guest Roles – The Guest Role program expands the Safety Net program a bit, as it gives designated friends and family members permission to manage a customer’s online APS account.
To enroll in a program mentioned above or to learn more about crisis bill assistance, customers can call (602) 371-7171 or (800) 253-9405 to speak to an APS advisor 24/7 in English or Spanish.
APS serves 1.4 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties and is a leader in safely delivering reliable affordable electricity in the Southwest. APS maintains a diverse range of energy resources, including nuclear from the Palo Verde Generating Station, natural gas, coal, solar, wind and energy storage – a mix that’s about 54% clean. With 140 years of experience serving Arizona, APS is the main subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
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