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Emergency Help Paying a Utility Bill Before Shutoff in Florida

Use the free tool — Emergency Cash Options

Do these two things today

Before you look at any loan, make two calls. This is the cheapest path and the fastest one.

• Call your utility company and ask for an extension or a payment arrangement.
• Call 211 for utility, rent, food, and medical assistance programs in your county.

Call the utility company first

Ask for a payment arrangement or an extension before the shutoff date. Ask about LIHEAP and EHEAP assistance. Ask about a medical-certificate hold if someone in the home depends on power for a medical reason. None of this requires a loan.

If you want help knowing exactly what to say and what to ask for, the free Shutoff Shield tool walks through it with your utility company's name and your deadline.

Call 211

211 Florida is one call for utility, rent, food, and medical assistance programs in your county. The call costs nothing.

If you still need cash — cheaper options first

If the bill is still short after the utility company and 211, here is the order that costs less:

• A credit union Payday Alternative Loan (PAL) from a federal credit union: $200 to $2,000, capped at 28% APR, up to 12 months. (NCUA)
• An employer pay advance — ask HR before using an app that charges "tips" or fast-transfer fees you can't see the cost of.
• A small personal loan from a bank or credit union.

A Florida payday loan is capped at $500, with the fee capped at 10% of the amount plus a $5 verification fee, for a term of 7 to 31 days. Only one payday loan is allowed at a time statewide, with a 24-hour wait between loans. (Fla. Stat. ch. 560 Part IV — Florida OFR) Any lender must be licensed with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation — check before you sign.

A title loan risks losing your car under Fla. Stat. ch. 537. It is not on this list for a reason.

If you already have a payday loan

Florida allows only one payday loan at a time, and rolling it over is not allowed here. If you cannot repay it, you have the right to a 60-day grace period if you complete credit counseling. (Fla. Stat. 560.404(19)) A credit union PAL can sometimes be used to refinance it. A free counselor at the NFCC can go through this with you by phone, at no charge for the first session.

What to do next

The free tool reads your own numbers — the amount, the deadline, what the bill is for, and what you have. It puts every real option in order for you, cheapest first, with the dollar cost of each shown side by side. No account. Nothing stored.

This page is not legal or financial advice, and costs shown are approximate. Confirm any loan's terms in writing before signing, and confirm a lender's license at flofr.gov.

Emergency Cash Options lists borrowing and assistance options in plain language with approximate costs; it can be wrong, and it is not financial or legal advice. Florida payday-loan rules are cited from Fla. Stat. ch. 560 as published — confirm with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. Nothing you type is stored.