Survivors to Thrivers
NEED FOOD? Contact the USDA National Hunger Hotline by dialing 1-866-3-HUNGRY, 1-877-8-HAMBRE, or texting 914-342-7744.

Reduce Bills Now!

Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels

After determining your eligibility status, and applying for these and other service discounts, calculate your own monthly costs and savings. Those who are lower-income and eligible for these services and supports may be pleasantly surprised to learn that they may save more, or less, than what is noted in the Sample Monthly Service Discount for Eligible Recipients table below. Service costs may vary a lot by region.

Although it’s possible to lower one’s own bills by doing research and applying for service discounts, Bill Genius takes a cut of the savings if you save any money, but the service can be helpful for those who don’t want to do the work to find available discounts.

One of the easiest ways people of all ages may connect to services and supports they may be eligible for is by going to Benefits.Gov to complete the Benefit Finder Questionnaire. Older adults and people with disabilities may also connect to services and supports for which they are eligible by completing the NCOA’s Benefits Check-Up.

SAMPLE MONTHLY SERVICE DISCOUNTS FOR ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS

Rough Estimates of Monthly Services Costs for those Eligible for Lower-Income Services                                    Information is based on a snapshot of various online calculations for services around the U.S.and varies considerablyApproximate Monthly CostPotential Monthly SavingsApproximate Monthly SavingsPotential                         Monthly Discounted CostWebsiteDetermine Program/Service Eligibility Requirements
Electricity/Gas(Electricity/Gas Discount based on CARE Discount (PG&E); (https://www.move.org/utility-bills-101/)$114.44/$63.3420%22.15$88.61https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/map/liheap-map-state-and-territory-contact-listingLocate your state’s Low-Income energy programs and apply for discounts. See individual program eligibility guidelines. You may be able to qualify for more than one program discount at a time.
Water(https://www.move.org/utility-bills-101/)$70.9325%17.60$52.79https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-04/documents/dw-ww_utilities_cap_combined_508.pdfContact your local waste water and drinking water utility and ask if they particiate in a discount Customer Assistance Program (CAP) such as the one’s listed on the wesbite
Trash/Recycling
(https://www.move.org/utility-bills-101/)$14.0325%3.50$10.50Contact your local waste disposal company and ask if they have a low-income, senior or other discount programs.Contact your local company for details
Online Streaming Services(https://www.move.org/utility-bills-101/)$47.4382%70.00$15.00https://pluto.tv/Free online streaming for everyone with Internet access. Watch hundreds of TV channels and download thousands of movies and TV shows for free.
Broadband Internet(https://www.move.org/utility-bills-101/)$59.9983%50.00$10.00https://www.everyoneon.org/find-offersFind low-cost Internet and computers in your area. (https://www.everyoneon.org/lowcost-offers)
Cell phone vs. Universal Lifeline(https://www.moneysavingpro.com/plans/average-phone-bill-per-month/)$114100%70.00$0.00https://data.usac.org/publicreports/CompaniesNearMe/Download/Reporthttps://www.lifelinesupport.org/do-i-qualify/
1-Bedroom Apartment RentalAverage cost of rent  for a 1 bedroom apartment (https://www.rent.com/research/average-rent-price-report/)$1722.0070%673.40$288.60https://affordablehousingonline.com/Use affordablehousingonline.com to find Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing and low-income housing opportunities in the U.S. See your individual HUD resource locator to contact your local Public Housing Authority/Agency (PHA) for affordable housing opportunities for open opportunities and program eligibility guidelines: https://resources.hud.gov/#
FoodFood Cost: (Assuming max SNAP benefit allotment in CA for a single person in 2022)$250.0080%204.00$51.00https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directorySelect your state’s SNAP website to apply
Health Insurancehttps://www.valuepenguin.com/average-cost-of-health-insurance$541.00100%403.00$0.00https://www.healthcare.gov/apply-and-enroll/how-to-apply/Apply and enroll for health insurance. (https://www.healthcare.gov/lower-costs/)
Car InsuranceAverage Cost of Car Insurance in the U.S. for 2022 (https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/average-cost-of-car-insurance) vs. CA Low-Cost Auto Insurance)  $129.4277%91.00$27.00https://www.4autoinsurancequote.com/category/learning-center/Visit each company’s website individually                                                     1) California: https://www.mylowcostauto.com/;                          2) New Jersey: https://www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_consumers/insurance/saip.htm;                                                                                                           3) Hawaii: https://www.dmv.org/insurance/car-insurance-for-low-income-families.php
Potential Monthly Cost/Savings $2,148.1575%1,604.65$543.50  

Please click to share!

Scroll to Top
Skip to content