How to get a free air conditioner this summer

First, the bad news: This could be the hottest summer ever, according to some experts. In Philly, it’s expected to hit 90 this week and approach 100 degrees next week. Your utility bills may also be on the rise.

But there is good news for some Pennsylvanians and New Jerseyans who have been sweating in homes without air-conditioning.

As part of Pennsylvania’s LIHEAP crisis cooling program, which is in only its third season, some funds are now available year-round for replacement or repair of existing but broken central air systems or heat pumps, which work like air conditioners in warm months, according to commonwealth officials. Money is also available for window and wall units, as well as fans, through Aug. 31.

In New Jersey, meanwhile, lower-income households in which a resident has a medical condition may be eligible for financial assistance toward their utility bills, according to the state’s Department of Community Affairs. Residents need a doctor’s note vouching for their condition and cooling needs.

Here’s what to know about cooling assistance as the weather warms up.

You must have received LIHEAP services this past winter or been part of the Department of Energy or LIHEAP Weatherization Assistance programs, all of which have income limits. To be eligible for LIHEAP in Pennsylvania, for example, a family of four must make $45,000 a year or less.

In Pennsylvania, you cannot apply directly for LIHEAP assistance in the summertime. In New Jersey, you can apply through the end of June at energyassistance.nj.gov.

In Pennsylvania, you can receive two window units, one unit and a fan, or the repair and replacement of a window unit, central air-conditioning system, or heat pump, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), which this year has a statewide cooling budget of about $5.3 million.

In New Jersey, the funding for medically necessary households is a one-time payment of $500, either in a direct payment to a utility company or a one-time check to the eligible customer, according to Department of Community of Affairs spokesperson Tammori C. Petty-Dixon.

New Jersey officials declined to quantify the need, but Petty-Dixon said nearly 42,000 households received cooling assistance last summer and more than 23,000 have already done so this year, out of more than 3.5 million households statewide.

During Pennsylvania’s inaugural summer with the LIHEAP crisis cooling program in 2022, WHYY reported that more than 2,000 households took advantage of the assistance. That’s out of nearly 5.3 million households statewide. Commonwealth officials did not say how many people received cooling help last year, or how many have done so far this year, but they said thousands of free cooling equipment was given out.

In summer 2023, the DCED facilitated:

» READ MORE: ‘That house was like an oven’: How residents of Philly’s hottest neighborhoods are coping as temperatures rise

Organizations that advocate for residents with low incomes say even more is needed. In a report last summer, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS) and Esperanza surveyed more than 100 Philadelphians who live in low-income neighborhoods and found that more than three-quarters reported being unable to pay their energy bills in the summer. Among the report authors’ policy recommendations: an expansion of LIHEAP so more services are available year-round, and Pennsylvanians in need can get money toward their energy bills in the summer, as well as the winter.

“States have provided low-income families with air-conditioning equipment at no charge in previous years, but what they find is families won’t turn it on because they’re afraid of the bill,” Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, said at a briefing last week.

If you think you are eligible for these funds and have not yet received them, or if you need additional assistance, you can contact your county’s local weatherization agency. In Philadelphia, its western suburbs, and South Jersey, those agencies are as follows:

Philadelphians can also access information on utility assistance at phila.gov/documents/utility-assistance-resources-flyer or by going to your neighborhood energy center. Low-income seniors in the city can call the Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging at 215-765-9040.

Utilities also offer programs that can provide assistance. Peco lays out assistance programs and resources on peco.com/help. In New Jersey, PSE&G customers can peruse their options at nj.pseg.com/saveenergyandmoney/gethelppayingyourbill, while Atlantic City Electric customers can do so at atlanticcityelectric.com/my-account/customer-support/assistance-programs.