TECO Bill Help in Tampa 2026–27: LIHEAP, the Share Program, Payment Arrangements and Due Date Plus
If a Tampa Electric (TECO) bill has gotten ahead of you, there are several places to turn in Hillsborough County. The main ones are LIHEAP, the federal energy assistance program run locally by Hillsborough County Social Services, and TECO's own Share program, which is handed out by Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. TECO also offers payment arrangements, Budget Billing and a program called Due Date Plus for people on fixed incomes.
Below is how each one works, who qualifies, what to bring and what to do first if you already have a final notice.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: Tampa Electric's Payment Assistance, Share, Payment Arrangement, Budget Billing and Medical Watch pages; Hillsborough County's energy assistance and eligibility pages and its energy application checklist; and a City of Plant City notice about TECO's LIHEAP referral process. Dollar amounts for LIHEAP benefits weren't published on any page we checked.
The Short Version
Behind on your bill? Ask for a payment arrangement in your TECO online account. You get an immediate decision.
Need money toward the bill? Apply for LIHEAP through Hillsborough County Social Services at (813) 272-5220, or contact a Share administrator.
LIHEAP income limit: 60% of Florida's state median income, which is $32,155 a year for one person and $61,837 for a family of four.
Age 60 or older? Ask about EHEAP, a state program for seniors at or below 150% of the poverty guidelines.
On Social Security or a pension? Due Date Plus can line your due date up with your check.
Big summer bills? Budget Billing evens out your payment, but you can't owe a past-due balance to sign up.
TECO Customer Care: (888) 223-0800.
Start Here: A Payment Arrangement
If you just need more time, a payment arrangement is the fastest fix. TECO says you can request one by logging in to your online account and selecting Payment Arrangement. You get an immediate decision, and if you're approved, you get a new date to pay. If you don't have an online account, you can register with your 12-digit account number.
There are limits, though. TECO says an account may not qualify if it:
Is already scheduled for disconnection or has already been disconnected
Has a returned payment that hasn't been made good
Didn't honor an earlier payment arrangement
That first point matters most. Ask for an arrangement before a disconnect order is issued, not after.
Once an arrangement is set, its terms and due date can't be changed or renegotiated. Payments are due by 5 p.m. Eastern on the agreed date. If service is cut off, TECO says it can be restored only after the full past-due balance is paid, and extra fees may apply.
TECO doesn't publish how long an arrangement can last or whether a down payment is required. You'll see the terms when you apply.
LIHEAP Through Hillsborough County
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps pay home energy bills. In Hillsborough County, it's handled by the Social Services department at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa. The county says help is available as long as program funds last.
Who qualifies
According to the county, your household must:
Be U.S. citizens or noncitizens who are eligible for federal benefits
Live in Hillsborough County
Have gross household income at or below 60% of the state median income
Have a recent energy bill and be responsible for paying it
During busy periods, the county may put applications first for households with a child age 5 or under, a senior 60 or older, or a household member with a disability.
The income limits
Hillsborough County's eligibility page lists these LIHEAP limits (60% of state median income, yearly gross income):
1 person: $32,155
2 people: $42,049
3 people: $51,943
4 people: $61,837
5 people: $71,730
6 people: $81,624
7 people: $83,479
8 people: $85,335
TECO's own payment-assistance page gives the same range, $32,155 to $85,335 depending on household size. The county notes that income guidelines can change.
How to apply
The county's process starts with a phone call. Call (813) 272-5220 to be screened for an eligibility appointment. The county's page also links to an online application.
What to bring
The county's energy application checklist is strict. It says only complete packets are accepted, and an incomplete application means you lose the appointment. The checklist we saw is dated January 2024, so ask when you call whether anything has changed. It asks for:
Your current electric bill at the address where you're applying, in a household member's name
Photo ID for every adult (no more than a year expired), and an ID such as a birth certificate for each child
Social Security cards for everyone in the household
Proof of citizenship or eligible immigration status for each household member
Proof of Hillsborough County address: two documents for the head of household and one for each other adult. Examples include a utility bill, driver's license, phone or internet bill, car insurance bill, renter's insurance or mortgage statement, voter card or a benefit letter.
Gross income for everyone in the household for the past 30 days: pay stubs, benefit letters, child support, pensions and similar records. If your income can't be documented (cash jobs, help from family, or no income), you fill out a self-declaration form.
Benefit letters for SNAP, Section 8 or HUD housing if you have them
After you apply
The county says you should contact the LIHEAP office if you don't get an approval or denial notice within 30 days, or if an approved credit doesn't reach your account within 45 days. You also have to report a change of address or energy company before your benefit is paid, or you can lose it.
TECO's LIHEAP referral option
There's a second route. A City of Plant City notice explains that TECO customers can sign a consent form that lets TECO share their account information, including past-due balances and any shutoffs, with Florida Commerce, the state agency that decides eligibility. The authorization lasts 12 months.
According to that notice, decisions are usually made within 60 days. If you qualify, you'll get a text or email, and TECO applies the credit. If you don't qualify, you won't hear anything. Keep paying what you can while you wait. Funding is limited, and the form closes once money runs out. The notice also points out that information shared with a state agency may be subject to Florida's public records law.
EHEAP for Seniors
The Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP) is a Florida program for households with someone age 60 or older and income at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. Hillsborough County's application checklist covers both LIHEAP and EHEAP, so the same documents apply. Ask about EHEAP when you call (813) 272-5220.
TECO's Share Program
Share is TECO's crisis fund. It's paid for by donations from customers, employees and community partners, and TECO's shareholders match donations dollar for dollar, up to $500,000 a year. TECO says that in 2025, Share helped 5,680 customers with $1.8 million.
TECO doesn't hand out Share money directly. It's administered by three groups:
Metropolitan Ministries
The Salvation Army
Catholic Charities, Diocese of St. Petersburg
Help depends on eligibility and available funds. When you contact one of them, TECO says you may be asked for:
Your current Tampa Electric or Peoples Gas account number
Official ID with the same address as the utility account
A delinquent final notice from Tampa Electric or Peoples Gas
Proof of a personal or family crisis
Notice the third item. Share is generally meant for people who have already gotten a final notice, so keep that notice when it arrives.
Other TECO Options
Due Date Plus
Due Date Plus is for customers on a fixed income. It moves your bill's due date to line up with when your Social Security, disability, retirement or other support payment arrives. TECO says qualified customers get up to 52 extra days to pay.
Budget Billing
Budget Billing averages your last 12 months of bills so you pay about the same amount every month. TECO's example: if your last 12 bills totaled $2,400, you'd pay about $200 a month. It's not a discount. You still pay for everything you use, and the gap is tracked as a "deferred balance" that gets folded into the next year's payment.
The catch for people who are struggling: you can't have an overdue balance or a pending disconnection to enroll. You also can't have used Budget Billing in the past 12 months. If you leave the program, any deferred balance is due right away.
Medical Watch
If someone in your home relies on life-sustaining electric medical equipment, TECO's Medical Watch gives advance notice of planned outages and notice if power may be shut off for unpaid bills. A Florida-licensed physician must certify eligibility. TECO is clear that Medical Watch doesn't prevent disconnection for nonpayment. Call 813-225-5051 to apply.
Weatherization
TECO's Neighborhood Weatherization program installs energy-saving upgrades and provides a free home energy audit for qualifying customers. TECO's payment page doesn't list the income limits.
Weather pauses
TECO has paused residential disconnections for nonpayment during extreme heat and an unusual cold snap in the past, announced with short notices on its website. These are temporary and short. Don't count on one.
A Quick Checklist
Request a payment arrangement in your TECO online account before a disconnect is scheduled.
Call (813) 272-5220 for a LIHEAP or EHEAP screening.
Gather everything on the county's checklist. Incomplete packets are turned away.
Got a final notice? Contact Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army or Catholic Charities about Share.
On a fixed income? Ask about Due Date Plus.
Medical equipment at home? Enroll in Medical Watch at 813-225-5051.
Not sure where to start? Call TECO Customer Care at (888) 223-0800 or dial 211.
What we couldn't confirm: LIHEAP and Share benefit amounts aren't published. TECO doesn't list payment-arrangement length or down-payment rules, Due Date Plus eligibility details, or weatherization income limits. Phone numbers for the three Share administrators weren't on TECO's page. The county's document checklist is dated January 2024. Florida PSC disconnection rules and Peoples Gas programs aren't covered.
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