Utility Advisor
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Utility Advisor Inc · A Maryland 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Power is
medicine.

Oxygen concentrators. Home dialysis. Refrigerated insulin. For thousands of Maryland households, electricity is medical equipment. We help families get utility assistance, stop shut-offs, and keep the power on through the Critical Medical Needs Program. Free, and in plain language.

Get help with your bill See every assistance option

Shut-off notice in hand? Call now: (443) 222-1221

2026 Vulnerable Population Expert Award Honored by the Maryland Department of Human Services Read the citation →

I need help

Keep my power on

Every Maryland assistance program in one plain-language guide: OHEP energy assistance, shut-off protections, medical certifications, the Fuel Fund, and ways to lower your bill for good. Then we help you apply.

Open the guide

I want to help

Light up a life

Your gift keeps electricity flowing to a household where a shut-off means an oxygen machine goes quiet. We fundraise on Zeffy, so 100% of what you give reaches the mission.

Donate

1,000+

CMNP applications processed

Milestone reached January 22, 2026

$20.5M

In assistance secured

Total grants awarded to date

15,027

Households served

Across Maryland communities

$1,352

Average grant

Real relief, household by household

The Critical Medical Needs Program

When losing power means losing more than lights

A shut-off notice is stressful for anyone. For a household running life-sustaining equipment, it's dangerous. Under our contract with the Maryland Department of Human Services, we step in between vulnerable Marylanders, their utility, and the energy assistance network so a billing crisis never becomes a medical one.

Who we protect

  • Households on medical equipment: oxygen concentrators, CPAP and ventilators, home dialysis, nebulizers, feeding pumps
  • People with refrigerated medication: insulin and other prescriptions that can't survive an outage
  • Elderly and high-risk residents: people who need stable heating and cooling to stay safe at home
  • Families in crisis: facing a shut-off notice with severe energy insecurity and nowhere to turn

How we help

  • Energy and heating bill assistance: grants that clear the balance threatening your service
  • Crisis intervention: urgent action when disconnection is imminent and health is on the line
  • Priority handling: qualified customers move to the front of the line, not the back of a queue
  • Advocacy and guidance: we navigate OHEP and your utility with you, through the most complex situations
Request help

How it works

One call starts it. We handle the rest.

1

Reach out

Call (443) 222-1221 or request a callback. Tell us about your household, your bill, and any medical need. A program volunteer reviews every request.

2

We build your case

We match you to every program you qualify for, document the medical need, and coordinate with OHEP and your utility so your application moves with the urgency it deserves.

3

The power stays on

Grants get applied, protections get placed, and your household stays safely connected, with a plan to keep the bill manageable going forward.

Maryland utility assistance, explained

Most families qualify for more help than they know

We process these applications every day. Here's the short version of what exists, and where to start. The full guide walks through each one.

State programs

OHEP energy assistance

One application covers heating help (MEAP), electric help (EUSP), past-due balance help, and year-round shut-off protection.

How to apply → Medical

Medical shut-off protections

A doctor's certification can pause a disconnection. We'll tell you exactly what to ask your utility for, and how CMNP adds to it.

What to do → Emergency help

Fuel Fund, 211 and your utility

Charitable funds, payment plans, and hardship programs that fill the gaps when state assistance isn't enough or isn't fast enough.

See the options → Going forward

Lower the bill for good

A free home energy check-up, rebate-covered HVAC tune-ups, free weatherization, and income-qualified community solar discounts that shrink the bill before it becomes a crisis.

Ways to save →
This program was a true lifeline. We depend on medical equipment at home, and Utility Advisor made sure our power stayed on.

P. Robinson · Program participant

Recognition

Named 2026 Vulnerable Population Expert

This year, the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Services honored Utility Advisor with the Vulnerable Population Expert Award at the MCAP Community Action Celebration Awards Luncheon, recognizing our work alongside the Office of Home Energy Programs serving Baltimore City and Baltimore County.

“Exceptional expertise, advocacy, and dedication to serving Maryland’s most vulnerable households through the energy assistance network.”

“Utility Advisor has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting medically vulnerable, elderly, and high-risk households… Their efforts have played a vital role in strengthening service delivery, improving customer outcomes, and ensuring vulnerable Marylanders remain safely connected to essential utility services.”

From the award citation

1,000th

CMNP application processed on January 22, 2026, a milestone reflecting both the scale of need and our commitment to meeting it with urgency and compassion.