Polk County Electric Bill Assistance: LIHEAP, Utility Programs, and Shutoff Help in Polk County, Florida

How electric bill help works in Polk County

Polk County sits between Tampa and Orlando and includes Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Lake Wales, Haines City, and Davenport. It does not have one single "electric bill fund." Instead, help comes from several layers, and you can use more than one of them in the same year.

• Federal energy aid (LIHEAP). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funds it, FloridaCommerce runs it statewide, and a local nonprofit handles each county. For Polk, that nonprofit is ALPI.
• State senior aid (EHEAP). The Florida Department of Elder Affairs funds crisis help for households with someone 60 or older. ALPI says it became the EHEAP agency for Polk County in 2015.
• Utility programs. Your power company may have a donor-funded hardship fund, payment arrangements, and budget billing.
• Charities. The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, churches, and other local groups sometimes pay part of a bill when public money runs short.

Which of these fits you depends on who sends your power bill. Look at the top of your bill before you call anyone. Most Polk households get power from Lakeland Electric, Tampa Electric, or Duke Energy Florida, and some areas are served by a city utility or an electric cooperative. The program names below are tied to those companies.

LIHEAP through the Agricultural and Labor Program

LIHEAP stands for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. ALPI's website says its LIHEAP program covers Collier, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Martin, Polk, and St. Lucie counties. The money goes straight to your utility, not to you.

ALPI's LIHEAP page sends applicants to the state application site, FloridaLIHEAP.com. You create a profile, answer questions about your household, and upload documents. The site routes your file to ALPI because you live in Polk County. If you have trouble applying online, call ALPI's main office at 863-956-3491.

ALPI lists two Polk County sites on its LIHEAP service sites page:

There are three kinds of LIHEAP help, according to the FloridaLIHEAP.com FAQ and the ALPI LIHEAP page:

• Home energy award. One payment per year. ALPI says the amount comes from a benefit chart based on household size, income, and whether the home includes older adults, young children, or people with disabilities. The federal LIHEAP Clearinghouse lists Florida's range for the 2026 program year as $400 to $1,350.
• Crisis award. For a household that has a disconnection warning or has already lost service. The state FAQ says crisis help can be paid more than once in a year, up to a $1,000 total. The Clearinghouse profile lists a higher $2,000 state maximum, so ask ALPI which cap applies to you.
• Weather-related help. ALPI says this is only offered after a governor's or presidential declaration of a weather emergency.

Florida treats October through March as the heating season and April through September as the cooling season. In Polk, the cooling season is usually when bills peak. Funding is limited, so applying early in a season helps. Our guide on how to apply for LIHEAP in Florida walks through the state website screen by screen.

EHEAP crisis help for residents 60 and older

The Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP) is a separate program for older adults. ALPI's EHEAP page lists these requirements for Polk County:

• You live in Polk County.
• At least one person in the home is 60 or older.
• You have a past-due (delinquent) energy bill, which ALPI treats as a heating or cooling emergency.
• Household gross income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines.

ALPI says the maximum EHEAP benefit is $600 per household per season, paid directly to the vendor. One season runs October through March and the other April through September, so a senior could get help in both. ALPI also lists blankets, fans, and portable heaters, help with heating or cooling equipment repairs, and energy-related reconnection fees. EHEAP is by appointment. ALPI tells applicants to call 863-956-3491 and says to bring extra documents to the appointment, so ask what to bring when you call. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs EHEAP page explains the program statewide.

Income limits for energy help

LIHEAP and EHEAP use different income tests. LIHEAP in Florida uses 60% of state median income or 150% of the poverty level. EHEAP uses 150% of the poverty level. The first column below is the monthly limit posted on the FloridaLIHEAP.com FAQ, which was still labeled 2025 when we checked on November 8, 2026. The second column is our own math: 150% of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, which shows roughly where the EHEAP line falls. Your agency has the final word.

Florida LIHEAP looks at gross income for the past 30 days, which means pay before taxes. If anyone in your home gets SNAP, TANF, or SSI, the state FAQ says the household can qualify through that benefit. For an example, a Winter Haven couple living on $2,900 a month in Social Security would be under the LIHEAP line of $3,504 for two people, but slightly over the EHEAP estimate. They could still apply for LIHEAP. The FAQ does not list a savings or asset test.

Bill help from Polk County power companies

Each power company sets its own programs. Here is what each one publishes, checked on November 8, 2026.

Lakeland Electric Project Care

Lakeland Electric is owned by the City of Lakeland. Its Project Care page says the fund helps low-income seniors and disabled community members and is run with Catholic Charities of Central Florida. Customers fund it through one-time gifts, monthly gifts, or the Round-Up option, which rounds each bill up to the next dollar. The page does not publish an age cutoff or a dollar limit, so call customer service at 863-834-9535 (toll-free 1-800-929-4876) to ask how to apply. Hours are Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Tampa Electric Share and payment arrangements

Tampa Electric serves parts of Polk County. Its payment assistance page lists LIHEAP, EHEAP, and its own Share program. The Share application page says you apply through community partners: Metropolitan Ministries, The Salvation Army Tampa Area Command, and Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg. Bring your account number, a photo ID with the same address as the account, and your current or past-due bill. The page does not list a Polk County partner office or a dollar cap, so call Tampa Electric at 888-223-0800 to ask which partner serves your address.

If you only need more time, Tampa Electric says you can request a payment arrangement in your online account and get an immediate decision with a new due date.

Duke Energy Florida Share the Light Fund

Duke Energy Florida serves parts of Polk County. It describes its Share the Light Fund as one-time help for income-qualified customers, paid through local agencies, with money from customer and company donations. Duke's website blocked our automated check, so we could not confirm the current Polk County agency list. Call the customer service number on your Duke bill and ask which local agency takes Share the Light requests in your ZIP code.

Charities and emergency funds near you

When public funds are paused or you need a small gap covered, local charities can help. Call first, because funds come and go during the year.

• The Salvation Army. The Lakeland Corps is at 2425 William Booth Way (863-853-2214), and the Winter Haven Corps is at 1898 US-17 (863-294-7493). The listings do not say which services each site offers, so ask whether utility help is available. Our guide to Salvation Army help with utility bills explains how these requests usually work.
• Catholic Charities of Central Florida. It partners on Lakeland Electric's Project Care, and its financial assistance page lists emergency financial help through its Family Stability Program. Requests go to 407-658-1818.
• 211. In Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties, United Way of Central Florida 211 answers 24 hours a day. Dial 211, call 888-370-7188, or text your ZIP code to 898-211. Specialists track which churches and local groups have money right now.

Most charities pay only part of a bill and expect you to cover the rest. Have a plan for the remaining balance when you call.

Facing a disconnection notice

A shutoff notice is the moment to move quickly, but you usually have a few days. Take these steps the same day the notice arrives:

1. Call your utility. Ask for the exact disconnect date, the amount needed to stop it, and whether a payment arrangement is possible. Write down the name of the person you speak with.
2. Apply for LIHEAP crisis help. Upload the notice with your application on FloridaLIHEAP.com. Crisis cases are handled ahead of regular ones. Federal LIHEAP rules require help within 48 hours for an energy crisis, or 18 hours if the situation is life-threatening.
3. If you are 60 or older, call ALPI about EHEAP at 863-956-3491.
4. Tell your utility you have applied. Some utilities will note a pending application on your account. Ask; do not assume.
5. Call 211 for charity funds that can cover what LIHEAP does not.

If your service is already off, you can still apply for crisis help. ALPI's EHEAP program lists reconnection fees among the costs it can cover.

Florida shutoff rules and medical needs

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) sets service rules for investor-owned power companies, such as Tampa Electric and Duke Energy Florida. Under Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.105:

• The utility must give at least 5 working days' written notice before disconnecting for nonpayment, separate from your bill.
• Residential service generally cannot be cut off for nonpayment from noon Friday until 8:00 a.m. Monday, or from noon the day before a listed holiday until 8:00 a.m. the next working day.
• The notice must explain how to dispute the action, including through the PSC at 1-800-342-3552.
• Each utility must file a procedure for customers with medically essential service.

City-owned utilities such as Lakeland Electric set their own collection policies, so ask Lakeland Electric directly how much notice it gives and what it does for medical cases.

If someone at home uses electric medical equipment, tell the utility now, not after a notice arrives. Tampa Electric's Medical Watch program needs a Florida-licensed doctor to certify the need (call 813-225-5051). Tampa Electric says plainly that Medical Watch gives advance warning but does not prevent a shutoff for nonpayment. A medical certification buys time to arrange payment. It does not erase the bill.

Polk County electric bill assistance, step by step

This order gets the most help with the least back-and-forth:

1. Gather documents. The state FAQ asks for photo ID for the applicant, Social Security numbers and birth dates for everyone, last month's gross income for everyone (pay stubs or benefit letters), citizenship or immigration documents, your latest electric bill, and any shutoff notice.
2. Apply for LIHEAP at FloridaLIHEAP.com. Choose crisis help if you have a notice.
3. Call ALPI about EHEAP if anyone in the home is 60 or older.
4. Call your utility about its own fund and a payment arrangement or budget billing.
5. Call 211 or a local charity to cover any remaining gap.
6. Apply for SNAP through ACCESS Florida if you do not have it. It frees up cash for bills and can also help you qualify for LIHEAP.

Living in a different Polk County?

Several other states have a Polk County, including Iowa (Des Moines), Texas (Livingston), Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The programs above are for Polk County, Florida only. Elsewhere, LIHEAP is run by a different local agency in each county. Dial 211 and ask for the energy assistance agency for your county, or start with our national LIHEAP guide, which explains how to find your state's program.

Lowering future power bills

Paying one bill helps today. Lowering the next one helps all year. In central Florida, most of a summer bill is air conditioning.

• Weatherization. The federal Weatherization Assistance Program pays for repairs like insulation and sealing air leaks for income-eligible households. Ask ALPI or 211 which agency handles weatherization in Polk County.
• Budget billing. Tampa Electric and other utilities can spread costs evenly across the year so summer bills do not spike. You still owe the full amount.
• Thermostat and filters. Setting the thermostat a few degrees higher in summer and changing air filters monthly can trim cooling costs.
• Free energy checks. Ask your utility whether it offers a free home energy audit.

For a statewide view of programs beyond Polk, see our guide to Florida utility relief programs.

Related guides

• LIHEAP Florida
• LIHEAP emergency assistance in Florida
• Florida hardship program
• Emergency help with utility bills

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Benefit amounts, income limits, and funding are set by each agency and utility and can change during the year. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with ALPI, any utility, or any government agency.