Utility Bill Help in Nevada

If you're new to this, start with how the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and other utility help work. This page covers Nevada: limits, how to apply, help from the utilities and shutoff rules. Other state offices are on Medicare help in Nevada.

EAP is Nevada's version of LIHEAP. It's paid for with federal money and a small charge on Nevada utility bills. DSS takes forms all year, from July 1 to June 30, until the money runs out. If a summer bill has you choosing between the air conditioner and food, start here.

You may qualify if

• You live in Nevada and pay at least part of your heating or cooling, even through your rent.
• Your home's income before taxes is at or below $1,995 a month for one person, or $2,705 for two (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027).
• Or your income is higher, but medical bills for a long-term illness bring it under that limit.

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, because DSS has more help if your medical bills are high or a shutoff is coming. If you would rather not do it alone, a Pair Team advocate can help you apply.

Nevada help with power and gas bills

How does the crisis program help if my medical bills are high?

EAP's crisis program helps people with a long-term illness whose income is a little over the limit. If medical costs you pay bring your income down to the limit, you can qualify, DSS says. Bring proof, like pharmacy receipts and copay bills, and ask your EAP office about it.

What help comes from NV Energy and Southwest Gas?

NV Energy pays for two bill funds that United Way runs. In the south, you apply for Project REACH through partners like Three Square, at (702) 765-4030. In the north, you apply for SAFE through local partners. Southwest Gas customers can ask about its Energy Share fund.

NV Energy also has the Expanded Solar Access Program. It gives some customers with low income a lower rate, at least 1 cent less per kilowatt-hour, with no panels. That's from the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN). Ask NV Energy if it has room.

How to apply for the Energy Assistance Program

1. Get the form online from DSS, at a DSS office, or at an intake site that helps you fill it in. The EAP offices are in Las Vegas, (702) 486-1404, and Carson City, (775) 684-0730.
2. Gather proof: 30 days of income for everyone at home, ID and your latest heating and cooling bills. If the bill isn't in your name, get a signed note from the person on it.
3. Send it by mail, by fax, to a DSS drop box, or by email to energyassistance@dss.nv.gov.
4. Say so if a shutoff is coming, and ask about Fast-Track and the arrearage program.
5. If you're turned down, ask for a fair hearing. The DSS hearings office is at (702) 486-1910, and for now hearings are by phone.

Your rights before a shutoff in Nevada

• Tell your utility your age. If you're 62 or older or have a disability, it must try to reach you at least 48 hours before a shutoff. The power company must come in person.
• Hot and cold days. For those homes, NV Energy can't shut off power when the forecast hits 95 degrees in the north or 103 in the south. In a southern mobile home built before 2000, it's 100. Nor can it at 20 degrees or colder. For everyone else, the limits are 105 and 15.
• A medical note gives you 30 days. A doctor, nurse practitioner or health official can say a shutoff would put someone's health in danger. If you also sign a note that you can't pay in full, the utility must wait 30 days, and 30 more with a new note.
• Two notices come first, a 10-day written notice and a second one at least 48 hours before. There are no shutoffs on weekends, holidays or the day before.
• Pick a backup. NV Energy's Third Party Protection Plan and Southwest Gas's Third Party Notification send a copy of any shutoff notice to someone you choose.

If the utility won't work with you, call the PUCN at (775) 684-6100 in the north or (702) 486-2600 in the south.

What a Pair Team advocate does

When a Nevada patient calls us about a power bill, a DSS renewal or rent often comes up in the same call. Here's what we do:

• Check, in one call, whether you can get EAP, Project REACH or SAFE.
• Fill out the EAP form with you, gather the bills and proof, and follow up until the payment shows.
• Call NV Energy or Southwest Gas with you to set up a payment plan, add a backup contact or sign up for NV Energy's Green Cross list for medical equipment.
• Help with what usually comes with it: food benefits, Medicaid, medical equipment, rides and housing.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Energy Assistance Program pay?

The Energy Assistance Program pays one benefit a year, and DSS sets the amount for each home. It usually goes straight to your power or gas company and shows up on your bill, so keep paying what you can until then.

Will EAP lower my food benefits or Medicaid?

EAP won't lower your food benefits or Medicaid, because energy help doesn't count as income, federal law says. If someone at home is 60 or older or disabled, it can even raise your food benefit.

I use oxygen at home. What should I tell NV Energy?

Tell NV Energy you use oxygen and sign up for its Green Cross program, with a form from your doctor. You'll get warnings before planned outages, but you still owe the bill. If someone at home can't leave and could die without the equipment, the utility can't shut off power once it knows, state rules say.

I live in a rural county. Who helps?

In a rural county, Nevada Rural Housing helps renters facing a utility shutoff for an unpaid bill, outside Clark and Washoe counties. Call (775) 887-1795. DSS also lists EAP intake sites in rural towns that help with the form.

Can renters get weatherization?

Yes, renters can get free weatherization, the Nevada Housing Division says, though a landlord may have to pay half the cost. A licensed auditor checks your home first, then contractors do the work.

Sources

• Energy Assistance Program, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Energy Assistance Eligibility Criteria, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Energy Assistance Program: Apply, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Energy Assistance Specialized Programs, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Energy Assistance Program Office, South, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Energy Assistance Program Office, North, Nevada Division of Social Services
• Administrative Adjudications Unit, Nevada Division of Social Services
• NAC Chapter 704 (sections 704.3065, 704.360 to 704.390), Nevada Legislature
• Termination of Service FAQ, Public Utilities Commission of Nevada
• Financial Help, Public Utilities Commission of Nevada
• Consumer Complaints with a Utility, Public Utilities Commission of Nevada
• Weatherization Assistance, Nevada Housing Division
• Project REACH, United Way of Southern Nevada
• Special Assistance Fund for Emergencies, United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra
• Emergency Rental Assistance, Nevada Rural Housing
• SNAP Treatment of Energy Assistance Payments, USDA