Electric cooperative members who have been financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic may be eligible for federal assistance with paying their past-due electric bills.
SC Stay Plus Payment
Your electric cooperative has worked with the SC Stay Plus program to provide direct utility assistance to eligible residential renter members. Once identified as eligible by SC Stay Plus, members will receive a payment applied directly to their utility bill from the SC Stay Plus program for past due utility bills dating back to March 13, 2020, if applicable. SC Stay Plus will also provide support for up to three (3) months of future payments. Funds will not be issued directly to members.
SC Stay Plus FAQ
SC Stay Plus was created to assist S.C. households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds are made available to South Carolina under the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and South Carolina Act 17 of 2021. Federal funds for rental and utility assistance in the amount of $272 million have been made available to South Carolina.
Assistance is available for households in which one or more individuals meet the following criteria:
- Qualifies for unemployment or has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19; and
- Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; and
- Has a household income at or below 80% of county median income adjusted by family size
If you feel you qualify, visit schousing.com/Home/SC-Stay-Plus to access the online application and to learn more. You can also call 803-336-3420 or toll-free at 1-800-476-0412.
The United States Congress approved this financial aid to help those who were struggling to pay their bills, in this case for utility customers who are behind on their electric bills. Every state was allocated an amount for such a program as this. If South Carolina does not use its allocation, the funds may be reallocated to other states.
Some prepay members will receive their assistance over multiple months. For example, if you qualify for $600 in assistance, but your average monthly electric purchase is $200, your assistance will likely be spread across three months with a $200 payment each month.