Utility bill
Illustrative month- Original utility charges
- +$200.00
- Solar credit applied
- −$150.00
- Subscription charge
- +$135.00
- Additional fees
- $0.00
- Utility bill to pay
- $185.00
A phone paid for by us.
A qualifying mobile service plan with no monthly bill.
We cover the cost of the phone and help eligible participants complete the application and activation process through Assurance Wireless.
- Company-funded phones
- Phone-only help available
- Solar is a separate choice
Eligibility, provider approval, coverage, compatible devices and availability apply. The included qualifying service is $0 monthly; optional purchases are separate.
What can we help with?
Start with what you need. Learn the rules before making a commitment.
- Phone & mobile serviceA phone paid for by us and a qualifying $0 monthly plan. No utility account needed.Start here
- Community solarCredits from a local project on the electric bill you already pay. Nothing installed.Start here
- Both, separatelyExplore each program on its own rules. One never depends on the other.Start here
A phone, with help along the way.
The device cost shouldn’t be another obstacle.
Community Savings invests its own resources so qualifying participants do not have to purchase the phone. We help with application and activation steps; Assurance Wireless and the program’s verifier make the eligibility decisions.
This is phone and mobile service, not home internet or broadband installation. Your household can ask about it without joining community solar.
Check eligibility and coverage
Review Lifeline’s separate income or program rules and the provider’s address coverage.
Confirm the phone and plan
Check device availability, compatibility and the current included service before activation.
Know how to keep your service
Use the service regularly, remain eligible and respond if recertification is requested.
Community solar. A separate way to explore savings.
Credits from a shared solar project may reduce your electric costs. Nothing is installed on your home.
Credits on your electric bill
An off-site project produces power. The utility applies your allocated share as credits on your electric account.
Minus Your subscription payment
You pay for those credits under the subscription terms. Other fees can apply, so read the contract.
Equals The difference
What remains after costs. It varies with production, billing and terms, and it is not guaranteed.
See the difference on a bill.
One bill or two, the important question is what you pay in total.
This illustration assumes a $200 original bill, $150 solar credit and $135 subscription payment. It is not a quote or guaranteed discount. Your state, utility, project, usage and terms matter.
Compare billing arrangementsIllustrative month, not an offer. These fixed amounts include $0.00 in additional fees. Both views use the same month and amounts. Your project, utility and contract determine which billing arrangement is available.
Credits and charges on one bill
In this utility-consolidated model, the credit and subscription charge appear on the utility bill.
- Combined amount paid
- $185.00
- Illustrative monthly savings
- $15.00
The subscription is 10% below the credit value, before additional fees. The savings equal 7.5% of the original bill after the fees entered here.
Two bills, one combined cost
In this separate-billing model, the utility applies the credit and the solar provider bills the subscription separately.
Utility bill
Illustrative month- Original utility charges
- +$200.00
- Solar credit applied
- −$150.00
- Utility bill to pay
- $50.00
Solar provider bill
Illustrative month- Subscription charge
- +$135.00
- Additional fees
- $0.00
- Provider bill to pay
- $135.00
- Combined amount paid
- $185.00
- Illustrative monthly savings
- $15.00
The subscription is 10% below the credit value, before additional fees. The savings equal 7.5% of the original bill after the fees entered here.
Actual usage, project generation, credit timing and fees can change the result. Excess credits may carry forward under utility rules; this example does not assume a cash refund. Compare the utility bill and contract before subscribing.
See the full bill guide and change the amountsExplore your state.
Local utility and project rules matter. Phone eligibility and provider coverage are checked separately.
- MinnesotaXcel Energy
- MarylandBGE · Pepco · Delmarva Power · Potomac Edison
- DelawareDelmarva Power
- IllinoisComEd · Ameren Illinois
- MaineCentral Maine Power · Versant Power — Bangor Hydro · Versant Power — Maine Public
- Rhode IslandRhode Island Energy
- New YorkNational Grid · Con Edison · Central Hudson · NYSEG · Orange & Rockland · RG&E
These are information pages, not a promise of an available subscription or phone at every address. Don’t see your state? Use the national phone resources or ask us a question.
Illustrative photoBring practical assistance indoors.
For food shelves, housing teams, agencies, libraries and community centers.
Invite our team to discuss a winter-ready indoor event. Qualifying participants can explore company-funded phones, application and activation help, and a qualifying $0 mobile plan. Community solar can be discussed separately.
Community Savings covers hosting expenses. We’ll agree on staffing, space, power, privacy, accessibility, language needs and scheduling before confirming an event. Participation stays optional; no client list is required.
Find the next step that fits.
Choose phone assistance, community solar or both. Explore preliminary guidance without giving us your contact details.
Find the right next step
A few optional questions for preliminary guidance, not an application or approval. No exact income, documents, account numbers or Social Security number.
Step 1 of 5: Choose service
Here are your next steps
Your optional answers point to information routes—not approval, a submitted application or a booked reply.
Phone help: Phone & Mobile Service: check your options
We have not established a qualifying route from these optional answers. You can still check USAC’s rules, including additional qualifying Tribal programs, and Assurance Wireless availability. Skipping this check does not prevent an application.
Community Savings pays for the phone and activation assistance. Assurance Wireless provides the qualifying mobile plan with no monthly bill for included service. Provider approval, address coverage, compatibility, device availability, current plan terms and optional charges still apply. Continued qualification, recertification when required and use at least once every 30 days are important.
Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per economic household: people who live together and share income and expenses. People at one address may be separate economic households; USAC may require its household worksheet.
Community solar: Community Solar: start with official guidance
These selections do not establish a local project match. Read DOE’s guide and ask your electric utility about community-solar options, account rules and current capacity.
Solar does not have one national income or benefit rule. Skipped, unknown or above-comparison answers do not automatically rule out ordinary subscriptions or other applicable routes.
Not sure about the electric account or utility? Ask the account holder or check a bill. Official information remains available while this is unresolved.
Contacting us is optional. Eligibility and benefit answers above are not included in your email. Your contact details stay in this open page while moving Back and Continue; they are not stored by this site.
Ask us a general question (optional)
This opens your email app; it does not send or save an inquiry here. Direct online submission is not connected.
Keep this to a general question. Do not include Social Security numbers, account numbers, exact income, benefit details, documents, or client lists. Use the official provider application route for eligibility evidence.
Preview the exact email / send manually
- To
- Jensen@CommunitySavings.org
- Subject
- Community Savings question: Both
If your email app does not open, compose an email to Jensen@CommunitySavings.org using the subject and complete message above. Review it before sending.
A few answers before you decide.
Phone assistance and solar subscriptions are separate choices. Read the program details, ask questions and take the time you need.
Contact Community SavingsWho pays for the phone?
Community Savings purchases phones for qualifying participants and covers the device and our activation assistance. Lifeline supports the qualifying mobile service; Lifeline itself does not guarantee a device. Device availability, compatibility and provider approval still apply.
Is the included mobile plan really $0 per month?
The included qualifying Assurance Wireless Lifeline mobile plan has a $0 monthly cost. You must remain eligible and meet usage and recertification requirements. Extra data, international services, replacements or other optional purchases are not included. Check current provider terms for your address.
Do I have to join community solar to ask about a phone?
No. You can choose phone assistance, community solar or both. The programs have separate eligibility rules. A utility account is not required to explore phone assistance, and solar participation is always voluntary.
Can renters explore community solar?
Yes, where an eligible account and project are available. No rooftop installation is required. If electricity is included in rent, ask about account-holder and housing arrangements; that does not prevent you from exploring phone assistance separately.
Will a solar discount lower every part of my electric bill?
No. A discount usually concerns the value of solar credits, not every utility charge. Compare the credits, subscription payments, other fees and contract terms. Actual generation, billing and savings vary.
Does the help flow submit an application?
No. It provides preliminary guidance and an optional general email inquiry. You choose whether to send from your email app. Provider applications, eligibility evidence and final decisions happen through the appropriate authorized process.
Official phone rules: USAC Lifeline. Current service terms: Assurance Wireless. Reviewed November 3, 2026.