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DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FAMILY INVESTMENT ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) MANUAL UTILITY ALLOWANCES Section 214 Page 4

214.1 Eligibility for Utility Allowances (continued)

Example 1: The Potomac Electric Power Company bills the

Robinsons for electricity each month. The electricity is used for

the lights and cooking only; Verizon bills the household for their

telephone each month. This household is entitled to the LUA.

Example 2: John Smith pays his landlord $50 per month rent and

$25 per month (flat rate) for the electric and water. The heat is

included in his rent. This household is entitled to the LUA.

214.2 Shared Utility Costs

A. Households that share a residence and heating or cooling costs with other individuals or households are entitled to the full SUA or LUA. Do not prorate the utility allowance between individuals in a household who contribute to meeting a utility cost.

Example 1: A two-person SNAP benefit household shares a residence with another individual. Each of the two SNAP benefit household members contributes separately toward meeting the utility costs. The individual they live with also contributes toward meeting the utility costs. The SNAP household is entitled to the full utility allowance.

Example 2: Marsha Jones and Sue Smith live together and share the expenses. Ms. Jones pays the gas bill (which is their source of heat) and Ms. Smith pays the other utilities (which is their source of cooling). They have each applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits separately and both are entitled to the full SUA (it is their choice how they share or divide the utility costs).

B. The shared expense situation differs from the normal tenant/landlord relationship where the landlord usually provides the heat from a central furnace and the cost of the heat is recouped as part of the rent.

C. The SUA and LUA are not prorated when the utility expenses are shared between ineligible and eligible household members. The SNAP household is entitled to the entire utility allowance.

REVISED SEPTEMBER 2025