Energy and Cooling Assistance
Multi-Service Center’s Energy Assistance Program helps households in South King County meet the financial challenges of increasing energy bills and may be able to provide portable AC units. We serve households with residential accounts only and are unable to serve commercial accounts.
Additional assistance with water bills may also be available for customers of Lakehaven Utility District with a referral. All assistance is provided in one appointment for energy assistance. You do not need to make multiple appointments. If eligible, Lakehaven water assistance and portable AC units are provided in conjunction with your energy assistance appointment.
Energy Assistance: Our energy assistance program can help with bills for electricity, gas, propane, wood, and oil. Payments are made directly to service providers on behalf of households. Level of assistance depends on type of housing, income, household size and home energy usage. If you receive assistance through PSE Help you will automatically be enrolled in PSE’s Bill Discount Rate (BDR) program. To receive energy assistance, you must meet either the LIHEAP and/or PSE Help income guidelines below AND reside within our geographic service area.
Cooling Assistance: To be eligible for a portable AC unit, you must meet the Federal (LIHEAP) income eligibility guidelines below AND reside within our geographic service area. Only one AC unit will be provided per household, and additional AC units will not be available to the same household in the future. AC units will be delivered directly to homes from a third-party vendor. MSC is coordinating the purchase of the portable AC unit only. MSC is not responsible or liable for any delivery issues, installation, damages, injuries, or defects related to the AC unit. If any of these or other issues arise related to the AC unit, they will solely be the customer’s responsibility to resolve and MSC will not provide additional assistance. AC units are limited and provided after you have received a LIHEAP award for the current year. If you have not yet had a LIHEAP appointment, you must make a LIHEAP appointment and attend that appointment prior to applying for an AC unit. Click here for the portable AC unit application
Assistance is provided on a first come, first served basis, depending on funding availability. All services are offered in one appointment. You must make an energy assistance appointment to be eligible for a portable AC unit.
1. Find out if you are eligible for assistance.
Customers must meet income and geographic guidelines. In addition, some households may qualify for assistance with their water bills because of a partnership with Lakehaven Water District. To be considered for assistance with Lakehaven water bills or a portable AC unit, you must first apply for LIHEAP energy assistance by making an appointment below.
Income Eligibility Requirements
| Household Size |
Federal Requirements (LIHEAP) Average Monthly Income* |
Local Requirements (PSE) Average Monthly Income* |
| 1 | $1,823 | $5,888 |
| 2 | $2,465 | $6,729 |
| 3 | $3,108 | $7,571 |
| 4 | $3,750 | $8,408 |
| 5 | $4,393 | $9,083 |
| 6 | $5,035 | $9,754 |
| 7 | $5,678 | $10,429 |
| 8 | $6,320 | $11,100 |
| 9 | $6,963 | $11,775 |
| 10 | $7,605 | $12,446 |
Geographic Areas We Serve
To be eligible for Energy Assistance with Multi-Service Center, you must live in the following zip code areas:
| 98001 | 98038 | 98064 |
| 98002 | 98042 | 98070 |
| 98003 | 98047 | 98092 |
| 98010 | 98050 | 98106 south of Roxbury |
| 98013 | 98051 | 98146 |
| 98022 | 98054 | 98148 |
| 98023 | 98055 | 98158 |
| 98025 | 98056 | 98166 |
| 98057 | 98168 | 98030 |
| 98058 | 98178 outside Seattle city limits | 98188 |
| 98031 | 98059 | 98198 |
| 98032 | 98063 | 98354 within King County |
If you are home-bound
If you are physically unable to come into the office for an appointment we may be able to mail you an application form if:
- There are no other able-bodied adults living in your household AND
- One of the following applies:
-
- You are homebound due to disability and can provide a letter from your doctor (applies to everyone in the household 18 years or older).
- You are 65 years of age or older and on a fixed income.
Call the 24-hour appointment line at 253-517-2263 and follow the prompts. You will be directed to another phone number.
2. Schedule an appointment by phone or online.
Some appointments will remain remote (via phone) while others will be in-person. When you make your appointment either online or through the appointment line, you will be informed if your appointment is in-person or via phone.
Call our 24-hour appointment line at 253-517-2263. When you call, please listen carefully and have a pen and paper available. A recorded message will give you options to choose from, as well as a list of items you will need for your appointment. Follow the prompts and you will receive the next available appointment. Your appointment may be in-person or by phone. Please listen carefully so you know where to go for your appointment or if it will be by phone. If your service has been disconnected, follow the prompts for more directions. (We will verify your shut off before calling you with an appointment).
PLEASE NOTE that we receive far more calls in any given day than we can serve, so please be patient. We schedule 90-100 appointments each day, and will make every effort to see you as soon as possible. We recommend that you call the appointment line repeatedly throughout the day to have the best chance at getting an appointment.
OR
Make an appointment online at https://msc.itfrontdesk.com/. Please read all instructions carefully and make note of the documents you are required to have available for your appointment. Please note whether your appointment is in person or by phone.
3. Bring the required documents with you to your appointment if you have an in-person appointment, or make sure to have them available to upload or send to MSC if your appointment is by phone.
You will need to bring the following items with you to your appointment:
- Social security card or legal document with name and social security number for everyone in your household
- Picture ID with birthdate for the applicant
- Verification of total household income for the three months prior to the month of appointment for everyone in your house
- Adults age 18 and older with no income in any one of the three required months must sign additional forms to confirm no income
- Current month’s energy bill
- Disconnection notice with current address (if applicable)
- Rent/lease agreement or proof of residence
Depending on circumstances, more information may be required.
Additional utility assistance may be available but is very limited. Please click here for more info.
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