JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — JEA customers experiencing financials hardships in struggling to pay their utility bill, will be happy to hear that help is on the way.
In a recent video posted on the utility's YouTube page, JEA Customer Assistance Programs Manager Elizabeth Paulson outlines the resources provided by JEA, the city of Jacksonville and local agencies, that customers can take advantage of to help them pay their bills.
In the last few weeks, several agencies have "surprised JEA customers who were struggling to make utility payments," a news release from JEA mentions. In one case, according to the release, a Jacksonville nonprofit organization allocated $16,000 toward paying JEA customer accounts on the verge of disconnection. And in recent weeks, the utility was able to apply over $8.4 million in federal funding released by the State of Florida to pay the utility bills of prequalified JEA customers, the release states.
Paulson says JEA offers short term and long term payment arrangements to give customers more time to pay on their bill(s). 'JEAMyWay' is a "pay as you go solution," as it makes it possible for customers to set up alerts to help manage their daily consumption; there are no credit checks, deposits or late fees and you can start your account with as little as $50.
'JEA MyBudget' is another option for customers in which it evens out your monthly bill by taking a rolling average of your last 12 bills, according to Paulson.
For friends and family who want to help out on paying your JEA bill, 'JEA Guest Pay' lets you pay a portion of someone else's JEA bill with your credit or debit card, Paulson says. You will need the customer's last name and service address in order to do so.
Many JEA customers who need help paying their bill, learn about JEA's Neighbor to Neighbor Fund through United Way of Northeast Florida 211, which connects people to essential services 24/7 at no cost to callers, Paulson indicated in the video. Call 211 or 904-632-0600 to contact United Way.
ElderSource, an aging and disability resource center, offers a free helpline to assist seniors in finding resources that assist them in staying in their home, JEA says. You can reach out to them by dialing 1-888-242-4464.
Paulson says the city of Jacksonville's Neighborhood Department, which can be reached at 904-255-8200, offers assistance on utilities, home repair, and through the utility tap-in program for income-eligible Duval County households and individuals. And the Emergency Heating and Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP), is a federally funded program that assists seniors facing a home energy crisis, Paulson mentions in the video. EHEAP is only available for low-income households with at least one person who is 60 or older.
JEA says the federal government's Low Income Household Energy Assistance Program or, LIHEAP, is designed to assist with energy needs for customers on the verge of disconnection, especially for households with children five years of age or younger, individuals with disabilities and those who are 60 years of age or older. The local appointment line for LIHEAP is 904-362-8052.
JEA's Medicare Savings Program assists income-eligible seniors with paying their monthly Medicare payment. In addition, the utility says the program can assist customers who receive Medicare, pay a portion for prescription drugs, copays and deductibles. ElderSource can help seniors with the application process, as you can give them a call at 904-391-6699.
And last but not least, Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida wants to help you with saving money, finding jobs and with homeownership, Paulson says, by offering free coaching to help you "regain or restore your financial footing."
