DC Electricity Bill Assistance Programs: How to Get Help Paying Pepco (2026)

A summer bill lands. The air conditioner ran all month, the kids were home, and the number at the bottom of the Pepco statement is higher than the rent check feels safe next to. Plenty of Washington DC households hit that moment every year.

Here is the part most people miss: there is help, and you do not have to wait until a shutoff notice arrives to ask for it. The District runs energy-assistance programs, Pepco offers its own relief options, and there are protections that keep the power on during a medical crisis.

Pepco delivers electricity to every home in DC and handles the billing and outages, no matter who generates your power. That makes Pepco the company you call about payment, and it makes the DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) the agency that runs most of the assistance. This guide covers what exists, who runs it, and where to start.

Before you decide a bill is wrong or unaffordable, it helps to know what normal looks like. Most DC households that have not shopped for a competitive supplier pay Pepco's default supply rate, called Standard Offer Service (SOS). As of June 2026, SOS runs about 16.1 cents per kWh for the supply portion. Delivery charges sit on top of that.

At that supply rate, here is roughly what the energy portion looks like at three common usage levels:

- 500 kWh (a small apartment): about $81 in supply
- 1,000 kWh (a typical home): about $161 in supply
- 1,500 kWh (a larger home or heavy summer use): about $242 in supply

Rates move, so treat those as a snapshot. For current numbers and to see whether a competitive supplier beats the SOS rate, check ElectricRates.org for Washington DC. If your bill is far above these figures, that is a reason to call Pepco and ask what is driving it before you assume you simply owe more.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is the biggest source of bill help in the District. It is a federal program, but in DC it is administered by the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE), not by Pepco.

LIHEAP can put a credit toward your energy bill to lower what you owe. The exact benefit depends on your household size, income, and energy costs, and it can change from year to year. There is also crisis help for households facing a shutoff or already disconnected.

Eligibility is based on income, so do not assume you earn too much to qualify. The thresholds shift annually. The honest answer is to apply and let DOEE check, rather than count yourself out. Start at doee.dc.gov to find the current application and the documents you will need to bring.

LIHEAP is a credit you apply for. The DC Utility Discount Program works differently: it lowers your Pepco bill every month while you stay enrolled.

The electricity piece is the Residential Aid Discount (RAD). Qualifying DC residents get a set discount applied to the Pepco bill each billing cycle. Instead of a one-time credit, it is ongoing relief that shows up automatically once you are approved.

Many households qualify for both RAD and LIHEAP at the same time, and the two stack. If money is tight every month, not just during one rough season, the discount program is often the more useful of the two because it keeps working without a new application each year. DOEE handles enrollment, so apply through doee.dc.gov and confirm your eligibility with them directly.

Sometimes the issue is not the size of the bill, it is the timing. You can pay, just not all at once, or not by the due date. Pepco has options for that.

Payment arrangements let you split a past-due balance into installments added to your regular bills, so you catch up over time instead of in one payment. Call Pepco and ask before the due date if you can.

Budget billing evens out your payments across the year. Pepco averages your usage so the high summer and winter months do not spike your bill. You pay close to the same amount every month, which makes budgeting far easier.

For households in a tight spot, Pepco also runs the Customer Relief Fund, sometimes offered through programs like Gift of Energy, which can provide direct help toward a balance. Ask Pepco what relief is available and what you need to qualify.

Losing power is dangerous when someone in the home depends on electricity for medical equipment, an oxygen machine, refrigerated medication, or other life-sustaining needs.

Pepco offers medical and special-needs protections for these situations. With documentation, often a form completed by a doctor, a household can get added time before disconnection or a hold on a shutoff while a medical condition is active.

This is not a substitute for paying the bill, and it does not erase the balance. It buys time and safety so a family can sort out payment without a medical emergency on top of it. If anyone in your home relies on power for health reasons, call Pepco now and ask how to register for these protections, before a missed payment becomes a crisis.

There is no single door for all of this, so here is the order that wastes the least time.

1. Call Pepco first if a shutoff is close. Ask about a payment arrangement, budget billing, and the Customer Relief Fund. Do this before the due date whenever you can.

2. Apply for help through DOEE. Both LIHEAP and the Utility Discount Program (RAD) run through the Department of Energy & Environment at doee.dc.gov. Apply for both. They can stack.

3. Register medical protections if anyone in the home depends on power for health reasons.

4. Check your rate. If your supply rate is high, switching suppliers can lower the bill going forward. Compare current options at ElectricRates.org for Washington DC.

Assistance helps with bills you owe. A different problem is a bill you believe is flat wrong: a reading that does not match your meter, a charge you do not recognize, or a balance that jumped with no explanation.

Start with Pepco. Most billing errors get fixed with one call once you point them out. Keep notes on who you spoke with and when.

If Pepco cannot resolve it, the DC Public Service Commission (DCPSC) regulates Pepco and handles consumer complaints. You can take a dispute to the commission at dcpsc.org. The DCPSC is the referee between you and the utility, and using it is free.