Memphis residents struggling with utility payments may find some relief, thanks to a local initiative spearheaded by Mayor Paul Young and the Memphis City Council. For the fifteenth consecutive year, the council, together with the mayor, have allocated $1 million to help Memphians avoid utility cutoffs by qualifying for up to a $700 credit on their MLGW bills, as reported by WREG.

The program aims to assist those whose household income does not exceed 130% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, existing clients of the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS), and individuals who have faced financial, health, or military deployment-related hardships within the last six months. To qualify, customers must be residents of Memphis, have the utilities registered in their or their spouse's name, and possess a current MLGW cut-off notice, according to FOX13 Memphis.

DHS clients can show proof of a disconnect notice at the DHS office drop box, by mail or online through the DHS portal. No additional application is necessary for these clients. "Customers could also qualify if they have experienced financial, health or military deployment-related hardship within the past six months," explained an MLGW representative, according to FOX 13 Memhis. Those ineligible for DHS assistance can apply via the Neighborhood Christian Center (NCC) website or by calling their utility assistance hotline, as per MLGW's news release.

Underscoring the range of applicable hardships, MLGW states that such predicaments include situations like being 100% medically disabled, recent job loss, or having a spouse currently on active military deployment. MLGW, a longstanding entity that has served Memphis and Shelby County since 1939, maintains a reputation for providing some of the lowest utility rates nationwide and is highly engaged in local prosperity initiatives, as outlined in an article by MLGW.