Arizona Public Service (APS) today (April 15) announced plans to further expand customer support programs related to heat relief, emergency contacts and sending updates by phone, email, text, and other methods in the event of past-due bills and potential service disconnections.
Developed as part of a consent judgment with the Arizona Attorney General's Office, these program enhancements are in line with the company's commitment to put customers first. APS strongly disagrees with the Attorney General's characterization of the company's policies, programs and record, and denies any wrongdoing.
In connection with these changes, APS issued the following statement:
While we have chosen to resolve this matter by adopting enhancements that benefit our customers, APS rejects the Attorney General's assertions regarding our existing disconnection policies and customer communications, which already meet or exceed all applicable state laws and regulations. Our entire team at APS prioritizes customer safety and cares deeply about the wellbeing of our customers and communities.
We remain committed to maintaining best-in-class customer support and education programs and are taking action to further strengthen our policies, assistance initiatives and communications. Our focus is on helping customers stay informed, connected and supported, especially in times of need.
The changes are as follows:
- Implementing Temperature-Based Thresholds: APS will exceed state regulations and offer its customers the most comprehensive disconnection hold policy in the state by maintaining its existing calendar-based hold period between June 1 and October 15, and voluntarily holding disconnections for non-payment outside that period when temperatures in specific locations are forecasted to be 95°F or higher. APS is also continuing its long-held practice of not shutting off residential service when temperatures in specific locations are below 32°F. For more information, visit aps.com/Residential/Save-Money-and-Energy/Disconnections.
- Enhancing Customer Notifications: APS's communication protocol for past-due bills and disconnection notices already meets and exceeds state requirements and includes multiple notifications through multiple methods to the same customer. APS is expanding its protocol to now include text messages as well as taking further steps to remind customers to keep their contact information up to date at least annually. Customers are encouraged to carefully review communications from APS and respond promptly to help avoid potential service disruption.
- Expanding APS's Safety Net Program: APS is investing an additional $3.4 million to accelerate planned improvements to further enhance its existing Safety Net Program. The Safety Net Program allows a customer to designate a trusted family member or friend as an emergency contact who can receive important account notifications to help prevent service shut-offs from past-due bills and stay informed about planned and unplanned outages. Under the enhanced program, these designated emergency contacts will be better positioned to assist customers who may be struggling before their service is shut off, with added notifications over text and email. APS is also taking action to encourage registration in the program by introducing new requests to enroll at the start or transfer of service and when customers register for online account access, in addition to an annual pop-up screen upon sign-in to remind customers of the program. These actions build upon APS's initiatives to support customers and prevent a disruption in service from past-due payments.
- Allocating Additional Funds for Customer Assistance: APS is deepening its commitment to the communities it serves by allocating $1 million for an Arizona Consumer Assistance and Education Program, created in partnership with the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The program will provide financial assistance to eligible limited income customers enrolled in APS Energy Support who are at risk of disconnection. This initiative builds on APS's recent $3 million contribution to nonprofit organizations that deliver essential services, including utility bill assistance, air conditioner repair and replacement and housing support.
- Providing Additional Information Regarding Rate Plan Alternatives: APS will continue to provide an annual courtesy bill analysis to the small number of customers who remain on the frozen Saver Choice Plus plan to help them stay informed about the best rate plan for them.
In addition to these changes, as part of the consent judgment, APS will pay the Attorney General's Office $2.75 million. APS contributions included in the consent judgment will not be recovered in rates.
APS Customer Support
In addition to the expanded Safety Net Program, APS offers another program that allows friends and families to look out for vulnerable loved ones by receiving notifications if bills are unpaid, and allowing access to help, if needed.
The Guest Role program gives designated friends and family members permission to manage a customer's online APS account, so they can have access 24/7 to log on and check the status of their friend's or family member's account. More than 13,800 customers have enrolled a Guest Role contact to date.
APS also provides the most robust customer assistance programs in the state, along with a variety of programs to help manage electric use and lower bills:
- Tools help customers make sure they are on their lowest-cost rate plan. Most APS customers can find out which plan would have saved them the most money by looking at the Monthly Plan Comparison on their printed bill, logging in to their online account or going to aps.com/compare. The Monthly Plan Comparison estimates how much customers would have paid on different plans based on past energy use, making it easy to compare costs and see how much they would have saved on different plans.
- Budget Billing is designed to help with the fluctuation of customers' monthly electric bills. Instead of paying total energy used each month, customers would pay an average amount spread out through the year until bills are paid in full. Visit aps.com/budgetbilling.
- The APS Energy Support program offers tiered monthly discounts for qualified customers. Those on the program can receive up to 25% or 60% off their monthly energy bills based on household income level. More than 85,000 customers were enrolled in the program in 2025, providing approximately $56 million in discounts. This is the largest limited income customer bill discount in the state. See if you qualify here.
- Crisis Bill Assistance is available for qualified customers in a temporary financial bind to receive up to $1,000 per year in payment assistance to help cover energy bills. Additional information on the program here.
- APS CARE (Crisis Assistance Relief Effort) offers qualified customers in need up to $500 in energy bill support in partnership with the Salvation Army. Importantly, there is no age or income criteria for this program. Learn more about this program here.
To enroll in a program mentioned above or to learn more about crisis bill assistance, customers can call (602) 371-7171 or (800) 253-9405 to speak to an APS advisor 24/7 in English or Spanish.
