Families who are having difficulty paying their utility bills this summer may qualify for emergency funding to help cover the costs of their cooling bills.
The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) is an annual Wake County program that provides assistance to low-income families or people who are experiencing a cooling-related crisis. In past years, people were required to apply in person at county locations. However, due to the impacts of COVID-19 and temporary closures of some county buildings, residents will now need to apply from the safety of their homes.
This year, people may access an application form by visiting Wake County’s Energy Assistance webpage. Once completed, the form may be submitted:
- By emailing to hs.energy@wake.gov
- By faxing 919-212-7085
If people do not have access to email or fax, they may call Human Services for assistance at 919-212-7000.
“Energy assistance is going to look different this year but is still available for those who need it,” said Janny Mealor, program manager for Wake County’s Energy Assistance. “COVID-19 has hit some families hard due to job losses, furloughs and other extenuating circumstances. We know how far these emergency funds could go in keeping folks up to date on their bills and battling the heat this summer.”
A household is considered in crisis and therefore eligible for assistance if it is experiencing or is in danger of experiencing a life-threatening or health related emergency and assistance is not available from any other source. A life-threatening emergency is defined as a household which has no cooling source or has a disconnect notice for primary cooling service, and the health or well-being of a household member would be in danger if the crisis was not alleviated.
In order to apply for the program, residents must:
- Have received a past due notice or disconnection notice from utility service provider,
- Provide income verification, and
- Show proof of residence in Wake County.
Since its inception more than 15 years ago, the program has helped thousands of residents avoid service cut-offs. In 2019, over 11,000 applicants received assistance.
Applications will be received until funds are exhausted and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. All payments from the program will go directly to the utility provider/vendor.
