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APS Offers Support to Help Keep 211 Arizona Available For Arizonans
Solari provides housing support, heat relief, food assistance and transportation
With Arizona Heat Awareness Week underway, Arizona Public Service (APS) is partnering with nonprofits and organizations to provide heat relief assistance programs to Arizonans in need. Additionally, APS has pledged $1 million to Solari Crisis & Human Services for its 211 Arizona Information and Referral Services program , in hopes the nonprofit can secure additional funding to keep the live-operator program available to help vulnerable Arizonans.
Arizonans use 211 Arizona to help connect them to critical services like housing support, heat relief, food assistance, and transportation. Often, when a customer calls the APS Customer Care Center unable to pay their bill, they are experiencing other hardships. APS regularly connects customers to 2-1-1 Arizona to receive additional help in other aspects of their lives.
Since 2021, APS has partnered with Solari and Lyft on a transportation program to provide rides to cooling centers for eligible Arizonans seeking shelter from the heat. Arizonans can dial 2-1-1 from any phone to see if they qualify. Last year, the program provided 9,317 heat relief rides to Arizona residents. This critical resource will continue to be available throughout the summer.
"Solari and 211 Arizona play an instrumental role in taking care of Arizona residents and our customers in need," said Monica Whiting, Vice President of APS Customer Experience and Communications. "With this support, we uphold our shared responsibility to care for those who need it most in our communities."
The APS contribution is not included in customer rates.
Additional heat relief initiatives APS supports:
Additionally, APS partners with the Salvation Army, AllThrive365 (formerly FSL), Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Lyft, Wildfire and the Arizona Faith Network to offer a range of services, including air-conditioning repairs and replacements, emergency shelters, hydration stations, eviction prevention and transportation to cooling sites.
- Respite Centers: APS is supporting the Arizona Faith Network’s hydration, cooling and respite centers throughout high-need neighborhoods in Maricopa County. Respite centers provide the most vulnerable a welcoming, secure place to lay down, cool off and rest safely.
- Cooling & Hydration Stations: APS supports The Salvation Army’s cooling and hydration stations throughout nine Arizona counties - Maricopa, Pinal, Yuma, Yavapai, La Paz, Navajo, Gila, Cochise and Coconino. Additional information can be found on The Salvation Army Phoenix website.
- Eviction Prevention, Emergency & Transitional Housing Programs – In partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, APS helps individuals and families stay safe at home through eviction-prevention assistance as well as provide support for emergency shelter.
- Air Conditioning Repair and Replacement Programs: APS is partnering with AllThrive365 and Wildfire on two separate programs to assist low-income homeowners in applying for HVAC repairs or new energy efficient air conditioning units during summer months. AllThrive365 supports qualified homeowners in La Paz, Maricopa, Pinal, Yavapai and Yuma counties. Wildfire’s program is statewide.
APS Customer Programs:
APS is committed to supporting customers throughout the year with a range of assistance programs. A few are highlighted below.
- Crisis Bill Assistance is available for qualified customers in a temporary financial bind to receive up to $1,000 per year in payment assistance to help cover energy bills. Additional information on the program here.
- 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. See if you qualify here.
Flexible payment arrangements are also an option for those who need more time to pay their balance, along with customers selecting the date they’d prefer to pay their bill each month, aligning better with their schedule. For those who have vulnerable loved ones, like elderly parents, APS offers two programs that allow customers to authorize an individual to monitor their accounts by providing 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. This can be limited to ‘view only,’ ‘limited’ or ‘full access,’ depending on the type of support needed.
From June 1 through Oct. 15, 2025, APS will not disconnect residential customers because of past due bills, or charge late fees, per rules set by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Customers will continue to receive monthly energy bills during this period and remain responsible for making timely payments to prevent the balance from building.
If a customer falls behind on their account, regardless of the time of year, APS provides options and assistance, including giving more time to pay with flexible payment arrangements.
APS works alongside government and community organizations to provide income-eligible customers with energy-efficient home improvements through the Weatherization Assistance Program, which can help lower energy bills year-round and improve indoor air quality.
APS customers can find more ways to manage energy bills aps.com/save. Customers can also call (602) 371-7171 or (800) 253-9405 to speak to an APS advisor 24/7 in English or Spanish.
APS serves about 1.4 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is a leader in delivering affordable, reliable, and clean energy in the Southwest. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
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