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Utility Hardship Letter for a Past-Due Bill
A past-due electric, gas or water bill is easier to sort out in writing. A utility hardship letter gives the company your account details, what changed, and the payment plan or extension you're asking for, in one page their customer team can act on.
Not available to California residents
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- 4 drafts to choose from
Writing assistance tool · Not legal advice. LetterLotus is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by using this tool.
Your letter
- hours cut to part time in March
- electric bill is $240; I can pay $120
- full hours return May 1
written into
My hours were cut in March and my electric bill is now $240 a month. I can pay $120 for now, and my full pay resumes on May 1.
I am asking for a payment arrangement, and I have set out what I can pay each month and when I will be current.
Balanced & Thorough
How It Works
Pick your favorite draft
You get 4 drafts built from your answers to choose from and edit.
Edit, download & use
Make any edits you want, then download a print-ready PDF or Word document. It's your letter.
What Your Letter Covers
- Your account number, service address and the balance you're writing about
- What changed and how long you expect it to last
- The payment plan, extension or arrangement you're asking for
- Any energy assistance you've applied for
- What you can pay now, and when
Free Help With Utility Bills
- You apply for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through your state or territory's office, which the LIHEAP office search tool finds, and USAGov notes that every state and territory sets its own requirements.
- Your state utility commission may also help; California's CPUC, for example, can walk you through negotiating a payment plan with a privately owned utility, though not with a municipal one.
A hardship letter asks the utility for its consideration; it can't promise a payment plan or stop a shutoff on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a utility hardship letter?
A one-page letter to your electric, gas, water or other utility explaining why you're behind, what you can pay now, and the arrangement you're asking for. It gives the company a written record of your request and your plan.
Will the utility company accept a payment plan?
That's the utility's decision. The letter is a request for consideration. Check your utility's own policies and your state utility commission before you write, so you know which arrangements to ask for.
Should I call the utility as well?
Yes. A call opens the conversation. A letter adds a written record of exactly what you asked for and when, which helps if you need to follow up.
What should I include?
Your account number and service address, the balance, a short reason for the hardship, the amount you can pay now, and the arrangement you're proposing. Mention any energy assistance application you've made.
Who writes the letter?
You do. You answer a short set of questions, and the tool helps you organize your own details into a clear, polished letter. You review it, edit anything, and send it yourself.
How much does this cost?
$39, one time. No subscription. You get four drafts to choose from, inline editing, and PDF and Word downloads.
More Hardship Letters and Guides
Other situations, and guides with full sample letters.
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Important: LetterLotus provides a letter you write and send yourself. We are not a credit repair organization, debt settlement company, or law firm.
Ready to Write Your Letter?
Ask for a payment plan in writing now, before the balance grows.
Writing assistance tool. Not a law firm. Not legal advice.