How to help Austinites in need pay their utility bill

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin is inviting people to spread some holiday cheer by paying a utility bill for someone in need.

The effort is part of the Gift of Comfort, a program that allows anyone, whether they are a City of Austin Utilities customer or not, to give a thoughtful gift.

How does it work?

You can pay for any amount of a customer’s bill. All you need is the name and address of the recipient. 

You don’t need to know their account number, but it can be helpful if you have one.

Then, visit the Gift of Comfort webpage and download the Gift of Comfort payment form. Fill out all the form’s required fields and deliver it and the payment to one of the City's Utility Payment Centers, or mail it to:

City of Austin – Payment Processing
P.O. Box 2267
Austin, TX 78783-2267

The customer will receive a letter from City of Austin Utilities, letting them know they have received a gift payment for their account. 

You can give anonymously or print a Gift of Comfort gift card to give to the recipient personally.

Other ways to help

If you are interested in helping neighbors in need, but don’t know who needs help, consider donating to the City of Austin Utilities’ Customer Assistance Program. The program helps customers who are unable to pay their utility bills due to unexpected emergencies.

City of Austin Utilities customers can make a one-time or recurring donation by adding it to their paper or online utility bill or by mail. 

For more information about how to help neighbors in need with their utility bills, click here.