By Dana C. Sotoodeh, CPS Energy Contributing Writer
Recently, the San Antonio City Council approved a new $30 million utility assistance program, funded using the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The program will assist low-income residents financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis with utility payments. The new program will allocate $20 million to assist CPS Energy customers and $10 million to assist SAWS customers.
“The American Rescue Plan Act funds provide the City with the opportunity to address immediate community needs like utility assistance. This much-needed program will help residents in San Antonio recover at a faster pace from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said City Manager Erik Walsh. “To ensure that eligible residents receive funds for assistance with their utility bills, they should register now for affordability and payment programs at SAWS and CPS Energy.”
Each utility will administer the funds to eligible customers. The program will assist with past due bills incurred from March 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021.
“SAWS has been at the forefront in assisting customers through the pandemic,” said Robert R. Puente, President/CEO of San Antonio Water System. “These ARPA funds will further extend financial assistance to our customers trying to catch up on bills. We appreciate the city setting aside these funds to help our customers with the greatest financial need.”
“CPS Energy thanks the San Antonio City Council on their approval of ARPA funds to help our customers most in need,” said Rudy D. Garza, Interim President & CEO of CPS Energy. “We encourage customers to call (210) 353-6110 for more information about how they can get connected to these ARPA funds that have been allocated to assist with their utility bills. We’re committed to helping all of our customers with payment plans and access to this additional assistance.”
How to apply for CPS Energy Utility Assistance:
- In person at any walk-in center or community event,
- Online application
- English: https://www.cpsenergy.com/arpa
- Spanish: https://www.cpsenergy.com/arpa-sp
- By phone, 210-353-6110.
How to apply for SAWS Utility Assistance:
- Visit www.saws.org/uplift
- By phone, 210-704-SAWS
Eligibility requirements:
- Individuals must show proof of hardship due to COVID-19 within the timeframe of March 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021 as well as documentation of household income.
- Eligible residents must be enrolled in CPS and/or SAWS affordability or payment plan programs. CPS and SAWS will screen for eligibility and process applications. For more information on how to enroll, visit: cpsenergy.com/assistance and/or https://uplift.saws.org/
The funds will cover past due bills incurred from March 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. The average customer could receive up to $1,000 for a CPS bill & up to $700 for a SAWS bill. Funds will be disbursed to residents starting before the end of this year. In the meantime, residents should contact CPS Energy and SAWS to enroll in affordability and/or payment plans to become eligible for these funds.
For more information, please visit cpsenergy.com.
Source: CPS Energy
