Can I use CalFresh benefits to help pay my electricity bill? Desperate for utility assistance

CalFresh benefits can ONLY be used for food items, not utilities. But there are other programs that can help! Look into LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) - they specifically help with energy bills. Also check if PG&E offers a CARE discount program for low-income households which can reduce your bill by 30-35%. If you're getting CalFresh, you probably qualify for these too.

I'm a case manager at a community resource center. While CalFresh (SNAP) benefits can only be used for food as mentioned, there's something important to know: having CalFresh means you're likely automatically eligible for utility assistance programs. Call PG&E directly at their customer service line and say you're facing disconnection and receive CalFresh - they have emergency assistance programs. Also, contact your county social services office where you got CalFresh and ask about emergency utility assistance - many counties have special funds for families in crisis.

if ur getting calfresh u should be getting the CARE discount automatically with PGE!! they share that info i think. check ur bill to see if u have CARE discount. it says it somewhere on there. if not call PGE and tell them ur on calfresh and they'll add the discount and maybe even backdate it

The county NEVER tells you about all the benefits you qualify for!!! I was on CalFresh for 2 YEARS before finding out I qualified for utility assistance, internet discounts, and free phone service! You have to ask specifically or they don't tell you. It's like they want to keep the money instead of helping people who need it. So frustrating!!!

Call 211! It's a free service that connects you to all kinds of help in your area. I was in your exact situation last winter with a $420 bill I couldn't pay. 211 connected me with three different programs that could help - one paid $200 directly to PG&E for me. They can also tell you about all the food banks in your area so you can stretch your CalFresh benefits. Just dial 2-1-1 on your phone and explain your situation.

last time i tried calling pge about help with my bill i was on hold for literally 2 hours and then got disconnected 😡 such a waste of time when i was already stressed about the bill. i ended up using claimyr.com to get them to call me back instead. they have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 basically they wait on hold for you and call when a human picks up. worked for pge and also when i needed to talk to the calfresh office about my recertification.

No one has mentioned Salvation Army yet - they helped me with a $300 PG&E bill last year through their emergency assistance program. You need to bring proof of income, your CalFresh approval letter, ID, the bill itself, and proof that you live at the address (like a lease). They can sometimes pay directly to PG&E within 2-3 business days in emergency situations. Call your local office to see if they have funds available.

One more thing - if anyone in your household has medical equipment that requires electricity (even just refrigerated medications), PG&E has a Medical Baseline program that can help prevent disconnection. Something to look into if it applies to your situation.

Update: Called 211 and they connected me with Catholic Charities who can help with up to $200 for my bill! I have an appointment on Tuesday. They also told me about the CARE program with PG&E which would reduce future bills by about 35%. Thanks everyone for your help! I'm still going to call PG&E tomorrow to explain the situation and see if they can delay the disconnection until after my appointment.

just remembered!! if u have school age kids check if ur school district has resources too. our district partners with some local org that helps with bills for families with kids in the schools

I'm so glad you're getting help! Just wanted to add that when you call PG&E, ask specifically about their "Level Pay Plan" too - it averages your annual bill into 12 equal monthly payments so you don't get those shocking high bills in summer/winter. Also, since you mentioned you have little kids, check if your county has a "Keep Your Utilities On" or similar emergency fund - many counties set aside money specifically for families with children facing utility shutoffs. The waiting lists can be shorter than other programs since kids are prioritized. Hope everything works out for you and your family!

I'm new to CalFresh and dealing with my first really high utility bill since getting benefits. Reading through all these responses is so helpful! I had no idea there were so many different programs that work alongside CalFresh. My caseworker literally just handed me my EBT card and said "this is for food only" - never mentioned CARE discounts, LIHEAP, 211, or any of these other resources. It's kind of overwhelming but also reassuring to know there's help out there. For anyone else reading this who's new to the system like me, it sounds like the key is to specifically ASK about what other programs you might qualify for rather than waiting for them to tell you. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge!