Have you fallen behind on water, gas or power payments in Memphis? Help is available to avoid a shutoff of your utilities by Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division.
Memphis’ municipal utility company has several programs to help customers who are struggling to make payments. Budget billing can even out your bills over the course of a calendar year, while payment plans can help you get caught up on overdue utility bills.
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But MLGW’s solutions are mostly based on adjusting payment timelines or educating residents about energy usage, not reducing the amount you owe. That’s where utility assistance from community organizations comes in. Direct utility aid can help you reduce or eliminate your overdue bill and avoid any further late fees or penalties.
We’ve compiled a list of programs where Memphians can get financial help with their utility bills and avoid being left without power, water or gas. Here’s how they work.
Plus-1 Assistance through MLGW
Who runs it: MLGW. As of July 1, 2025, MLGW ended its decades-long partnership with the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association, which had run its Plus-1 program. The utility company is now administering the program itself.
Who qualifies for assistance: MLGW customers with limited income who are struggling to pay their bills may apply for assistance through the Plus-1 program. Eligibility does not guarantee payment, and payments may not cover a customer’s entire outstanding bill amount. Households can qualify for assistance through this program once a year. Priority is given to low-income households and those with seniors over age 70.
Documentation required:
- Government-issued ID for all household members
- Proof of income for all household members
- Shutoff notice from MLGW
How to apply: Apply directly through your MLGW account by selecting “Apply for Plus1 Utility Assistance Program” at the bottom of your dashboard. Funds are replenished at the beginning of every month, and applications close once they are depleted. Customers should apply as early in the month as possible for the best chance of acceptance.
City of Memphis Utility Assistance
Who runs it: Neighborhood Christian Centers, Inc. and the Tennessee Department of Human Services, with funding provided by the City of Memphis
Who qualifies for assistance: Memphis residents may qualify for utility assistance if they have a combined household income below 130% of the federal poverty level and have received a shutoff notice from MLGW. Additionally, they must either provide proof of their eligibility for state Department of Human Services assistance or show proof of a recent financial hardship. Only financial, medical and military deployment based hardships are accepted at this time— examples include job loss, hospitalization, being 100% medically disabled or having a spouse on an active military deployment.
Documentation required:
- Proof of address
- MLGW shutoff notice
- Proof of income (for non-DHS clients)
- Proof of recent financial hardship (for non-DHS clients)
How to apply: Clients of the Tennessee Department of Human Services only need to provide an MLGW shutoff notice in order to apply for this assistance. They can mail a copy of their shutoff notice to:
Family Assistance Office
P.O. Box 620001
Memphis, TN 38181
DHS clients can also bring a copy of their shutoff notice in person to their local DHS office or leave it in the drop box outside the office. There are two DHS offices in Shelby County at 6941 Winchester Road and 4885 Stage Road.
Clients who don’t receive DHS services must apply for city utility assistance through Neighborhood Christian Centers. Clients must apply online as paper applications and walk-ins are no longer accepted. The online application form opens at 8:30 a.m. every day and closes at 2 p.m. or once its daily threshold is reached. Clients who have received DHS utility assistance are not eligible for additional assistance through this program.
Driving the Dream
Who runs it: United Way Mid-South in partnership with 180+ other organizations
Who qualifies for assistance: Driving the Dream is a program that helps connect Memphis-area residents experiencing poverty to over 180 different service providers based on their unique needs. Utility assistance is one of the many services the program offers — either directly or through referrals to other local agencies.
Documentation required: To make an initial request for services, all that’s needed is your contact information and date of birth. Clients with one need will usually be referred to a local nonprofit that can help meet it. Those with two or more needs will be referred to Driving the Dream’s care coordinators, who will usually ask for the following:
- Identification
- Proof of income
- Documentation of any children in the household
To access utility assistance, clients may also need to provide:
- Proof of financial hardship
- Proof of a pending utility shutoff
How to apply: Clients can make an initial request for assistance through Driving the Dream by filling out a simple form online, calling the program’s call center at 844-444-4211 or visiting one of 14 kiosks around the city to apply. The kiosks can be found in the following locations, which are all in Memphis unless otherwise stated:
- Greenlaw Community Center at 190 Mill Ave.
- Hickory Hill Community Center at 3910 Ridgeway Road
- Ed Rice Community Center at 2935 N. Watkins St.
- Bickford Community Center at 235 Henry Ave.
- Orange Mound Community Center at 2590 Park Ave.
- Westwood Community Center at 810 Western Park Drive
- Bert Ferguson Community Center at 8505 Trinity Road in Cordova
- Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library at 3030 Poplar Ave.
- Raleigh Library at 3452 Austin Peay Highway
- East Shelby Library at 7200 E. Shelby Drive
- Lucius E. & Elsie C. Burch, Jr. Library at 501 Poplar View Parkway in Collierville
- Binghampton CDC at 280 Tillman St.
- Whitehaven Georgette & Cato Johnson YMCA at 4727 Elvis Presley Blvd.
- Shelby County Office of Re-entry at 1362 Mississippi Blvd.
Once enrolled, a care coordinator will assess your need for utility assistance and can walk you through the next steps to obtain it.
LIHEAP Emergency Utility Assistance
Who runs it: Shelby County Community Services Agency
Who qualifies for assistance: The Shelby County CSA typically runs two utility assistance programs: one for residents who need help paying current utility bills and another for those with utility shutoff notices. As of November 2025, emergency utility assistance applications are being processed, but no funds will be awarded until the federal government releases its FY2026 budget. Approved applicants will instead be placed on a waitlist until funds become available.
To access emergency assistance, residents must make no more than 60% of the state’s median income, which is around $32,000 for a single person or $62,000 for a family of four. They must also have received a utility shutoff notice and have one of the following:
- Proof of a recent crisis or out of pocket expense like a job loss, funeral expense, medical expense, etc.
- A household member who is disabled — a disability benefits letter or a disability verification form filled out by a doctor is now required
- A household member who is in the military or a veteran — a DD214 record is now required to prove that the veteran was not dishonorably discharged
- A child in the household aged 5 or younger
- A senior in the household aged 60 or older
- Documentation from a doctor showing that a member of the household uses life-support equipment
Documentation required: In addition to documentation proving the qualifications above, applicants will need to provide:
- State-issued ID
- Social Security cards for all household members
- Birth certificates for children aged 5 or younger
- Proof of income for the last 30 days for every household member over 18
- Verification of Income & Expenses Forms for every household member over 18 with no income
- School schedules or report cards for any high school students who contribute income to the household
- Their past 12 months of utility bills
- MLGW shutoff notice
- Self-Employment Income Forms and most recent tax returns for any self-employed household members
- Their Section 8 housing voucher payment letter, if they have one
If the applicant’s landlord is the primary utility account holder but the applicant pays a portion of their utility costs as rent, they must also submit their lease and a LIHEAP landlord/tenant energy assistance agreement form.
How to apply: Applications for LIHEAP emergency assistance have changed and may now only be completed online as of Nov. 3, 2025. Those who want to apply can go to shelbycountycsa.org and select Utility Assistance. An email address and Internet access is required in order to apply. Seniors who need assistance applying online should call
Short-Term Rental, Mortgage and Utility Assistance
Who runs it: Friends for All
Who qualifies for assistance: Residents of the Memphis area who are living with HIV and facing a utility shutoff may qualify for up to 21 weeks of utility assistance through Friends for All. Their household must be at or below 80% of the area median income — that’s a total household limit of around $67,000.
Documentation required:
- Proof of HIV+ medical status for at least one person in the household
- Copies of IDs and social security cards for all household members
- Proof of residence (lease or mortgage statement)
- Documentation of income for all household members
- Tennessee residents must provide a utility shutoff notice to get assistance
How to apply: Apply online through the Friends for All website. Self-referrals for Friends For All’s services take around 10 days to process. Clients can only apply for utility assistance once per 52-week period.
Hope House Emergency Financial Assistance
Who runs it: Hope House
Who qualifies for assistance: Memphis residents living with HIV may qualify for emergency financial assistance in the form of utility payments.
Documentation required:
- A Ryan White card is required to access all of Hope House’s social services. This card indicates a client’s eligibility for care through the federally funded Ryan White Program, which provides free treatment for HIV/AIDS to low-income people who lack sufficient health insurance coverage.
- Referral from a medical case manager
- Proof of income and/or financial hardship
- MLGW bill in your name
How to apply: A medical case manager from another organization must refer you to receive any of Hope House’s social services. Memphis groups that serve clients with HIV/AIDS include Friends for All, the Shelby County Health Department and Christ Community Health Services.
Paused utility assistance programs
LIHEAP Regular Utility Assistance
Details about lack of funds: Funding for the federally administered LIHEAP program will not be known until the federal government releases its FY2026 budget. While utility customers can apply for this LIHEAP assistance online, the Shelby County Community Services Agency is currently not processing applications for regular utility assistance.
Who runs it: Shelby County Community Services Agency
Who qualifies for assistance: Renters and homeowners can both apply for regular utility assistance, but these applications are not being processed until further notice as of November 2025. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and the primary MLGW account holder for their household. They must make below 60% of the state medium income, which is around $32,000 for a single person or $62,000 for a family of four.
Documentation required:
- ID for all household members over 18
- Social Security cards for all household members
- Proof of income for the last 30 days for all household members
- An MLGW shutoff notice in the primary applicant’s name
- A valid email address (in order to apply online)
How to apply: Applications for LIHEAP utility assistance are currently being accepted online. However, only crisis applications are being processed and waitlisted. Regular utility assistance applications are not being reviewed until further notice as of November 2025.
OUTLast Utility Assistance
Details about lack of funds: This program is paused until further notice due to a shortage of funding.
Who runs it: OUTMemphis
Who qualifies for assistance: LGBTQ+ adults over the age of 25 who fall into one of the following categories may qualify for utility assistance:
- Transgender people of color
- LGBTQ+ people living with HIV
- Undocumented LGBTQ+ people
- LGBTQ+ seniors over the age of 55
Documentation required:
- Documentation of financial need, like an unemployment letter or proof of SNAP eligibility
- Your MLGW bill (does not need to be a shutoff notice)
How to apply: Applicants for assistance through OUTLast must apply online between the 1st and the 15th of each month. If accepted, assistance of up to $500 is available and will be paid directly to MLGW. Applicants can only apply for OUTLast utility assistance once every three months, and must attend a free PrEP navigation and HIV testing consultation and a follow-up appointment if they receive assistance.
Did we miss an assistance program that helps Memphians pay their utility bills? Have you had trouble accessing assistance through any of these programs? Let MLK50 know by emailing the author of this story at natalie.wallington@mlk50.com.
Natalie Wallington is the housing reporter for MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Email her at natalie.wallington@mlk50.com.
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