SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - City Water, Light and Power in Springfield is accepting applications for a program to help assist customers with paying their bills. 

CWLP customers who need help can qualify for the Project RELIEF program. To apply, a person should call the CWLP Project RELIEF Office at (217)789-2414 on or after Wednesday, Dec. 1. 

Customers who meet the minimum eligibility requirements will be scheduled to meet with Fifth Street Renaissance, which is the program administrator. 

To qualify, a customer needs to have: 

  • a total household income for the previous 90 days of no more than 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines;
  • a past-due CWLP bill;
  • not received Project RELIEF assistance in 2020-2021 program season, excluding COVID emergency-funded program assistance;
  • exhausted all assistance resources including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), 535-3120. See application here. (Customers who have only water service from CWLP do not need to apply to LIHEAP first); and
  • the ability to cover a portion of their past-due bill, as required.

Donations for Project RELIEF are collected mostly from CWLP customers who add $1 or more to their monthly bill along with city employee payroll contributions. Customers interested in signing up to give can click here. 

All money received for this program goes directly to people in need, with no money being used to cover administrative costs, CWLP said. Customers can make a one-time contribution by mailing a check or money order made payable to Project RELIEF and sending it to Fifth Street Renaissance at 1315 N. Fifth Street, Springield, IL, 62702. 

Click here for more information about Project RELIEF and other bill and financial assistance programs. Â