Residential customers on low or fixed incomes who participate in certain state, federal, or local assistance programs can benefit from the City of Austin's Customer Assistance Program (CAP) utility bill discounts. CAP Utility Bill Discounts can help reduce utility bills an average of $560 a year.
Find answers to common questions about Utility Bill discounts in the FAQ below. If you have additional questions, call Customer Care at 512-494-9400 to speak with a representative.
Once you are ready, click below to begin your application in English or Spanish.
You qualify for discounts if you or someone in your household currently participates in any one of these programs:
- All Medicaid types
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Telephone Lifeline Program
- Travis County Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP)
- Medical Access Program (MAP)
- Veterans Assistance Supportive Housing (VASH)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
You may also be eligible for the program if your household income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level:
| 2023 Federal Poverty Guidelines | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons in Household | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| Total Annual Income | $30,120 | $40,880 | $51,640 | $62,400 | $73,160 | $83,920 | $94,680 | $105,440 | |
Please call 855-319-6630 with any questions you may have about eligibility.
To qualify, you must submit one of the following documents:
- Medicaid Notice of Case Action Letter from Texas Department of Health & Human Services
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Notice of Case Action Letter from Texas Department of Health and Human Services (also known as Food Stamps)
- Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Confirmation Enrollment Letter from Texas Department of Health and Human Services
- Telephone Lifeline Program Enrollment Letter or Phone Bill Reflecting Lifeline Enrollment
- Travis County Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) Notice of Payment Letter
- Medical Access Program (MAP) Clinic Card
- VASH award letter
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Award Letter
You can request the Medicaid, SNAP, and CHIP qualifying documents by calling 2-1-1. This is a hotline provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. When you dial 2-1-1, select a language, then choose Option 2 for information on state benefits including Medicaid, SNAP, and CHIP.
There are several companies that participate in the Telephone Lifeline Program, so you should call your telephone provider to get proof of enrollment. The CEAP documentation can be obtained from your Travis County case worker.
You can call 512-978-8130 to get a new copy of your MAP card.
You can contact your VASH Case Manager to help you with the documentation requirement.
You can request the SSI award letter by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or by contacting your local Social Security office.
In order to qualify for the discount program we need to verify the address and current enrollment in one of the benefits programs. This information is not found on the Medicaid, Lone Star, or CHIP cards. In addition, anyone living at the utility service address can qualify the household for CAP Discounts and thus may not be listed on the utility account. The enrollment letters for Medicaid, SNAP, and CHIP allow us to verify all the necessary information such as address and current enrollment.
You can call 2-1-1 to apply for Medicaid or SNAP. You can also enroll online using the Texas Department of Health and Human Services website.
To apply for CHIP, call 1-877-543-7669 or apply online on the Children's Medicaid website.
You can apply for Lifeline Texas discounts by calling toll free 1-866-454-8387 or by downloading the application from the Public Utility Commission of Texas website.
You can contact your local Travis County Health and Human Services Department office to apply for CEAP. Call 2-1-1 to find the nearest office.
You can call 512-978-8130 to discuss eligibility for the Medical Access Program.
You can apply for SSI by contacting Social Security for an appointment. To make an appointment, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or contact your local Social Security office. You can also fill out the online disability report from the Social Security website to get the process started.
The Customer Assistance Discount Program offers about $560 in yearly discounts off your utility bill depending on what utility services you have through the City of Austin.
Discounts available:
- Electric Service Customer Charge waiver
- Discount on your total electrical usage
- Discount on your Community Benefit Charges
- Water Multi-Family Program discount
- Water Service Customer Charge waiver
- Water Tiered Fixed Charge waiver
- Water Volume Charge discount
- Wastewater Service Customer Charge waiver
- Wastewater Volume Charge discount
- Drainage Charge 50% discount
Discounts can be found under each utility service in the line items as “Cust Assist Program Cust Charge Discount,” “Cust Assist Prog. Credit,” or “Cust Assist Program Bill Discount.”
Depending on what utilities you have through the City of Austin, you will find three discounts under Electric, four discounts under Water, three discounts under Wastewater, and one discount under Drainage.
City Council determines the qualifiers for the Customer Assistance Discount program.
