CAP Discounts
Customers on low or fixed incomes who participate in certain state, federal, or local assistance programs can benefit from the City of Austin’s CAP Discounts program. CAP Discounts can help reduce utility bills an average of $650 a year.
You may qualify for the following waivers and discounts:
- Electric Service Customer Charge waiver
- Discount on your total electrical usage
- Discount on your Community Benefit Charge
- Water Service Customer Charge waiver
- Water Tiered Fixed Charge waiver
- Water Volume Charge discount
- Wastewater Service Customer Charge waiver
- Drainage Fee 50% discount
Eligibility
You may be eligible if you or someone in your household participates in one of these programs:
- Medicaid Program
- 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)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
-
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)
Please call 855-319-6630 with any questions you may have about eligibility. Please note that potential participants could be placed on a wait list due to program limits set by City Council.
How to Apply
Print the Customer Assistance Discount form (pdf), complete it, include documentation of participation in one of the above programs, and send to:
City of Austin - Customer Care Contact Center - Customer Assistance ProgramsPO Box 142669Austin, TX 78714-2669
You may also fax the above to 855-319-6629 or call 855-319-6630 to request a form by mail.
Services for the Medically Vulnerable
The City of Austin offers a Registry for the Medically Vulnerable — customers with a long-term disease, ailment, or critical illness.
Customers eligible for the registry receive more time to pay their bills and personal case management from the City of Austin and partnering social service agencies.
The sole purpose of the registry is to provide support services to eligible customers. Please note that customers on the registry may still have their service disconnected due to non-payment. Power restoration is also not guaranteed.
Eligibility
To qualify, customers must meet one of the following criteria:
- They are on a life support system identified by City of Austin Code, Section 15-9-23 (requires annual recertification).
- They are being treated for a critical illness such as paraplegia, quadriplegia, hemiplegia, multiple sclerosis, or scleroderma (requires annual recertification).
- They are being treated for a serious illness impacted by changes in temperature (requires recertification every 90 days).
A licensed physician must verify eligibility. Customers are responsible for contacting Customer Care to have their eligibility recertified.
Next Steps
To join the registry, call Customer Care at 512-494-9400. Please have ready the name and number of the customer’s physician, and the type of medical equipment in your household.
