How to Get Loans to Pay Bills

iEditorial Note: These blog posts represent the opinion of DoNotPay’s Writers, but each person’s situation and circumstances vary greatly. As a result, you should make sure to do your own independent research. Because everyone is unique, our self-help tools are never guaranteed to help with any specific situation. DoNotPay is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and is not equivalent to the services of a licensed lawyer. DoNotPay provides a platform for legal information and self-help, and does not offer legal services. Third party news articles mentioned on our website do not necessarily reflect the views of the company, or the current services that we offer.

Looking for loans to pay bills? DoNotPay can help

Bills have been on a constant rise for much longer than any of us can remember. Food and rent are among the most basic human needs, and 40% of Americans can’t afford them. It is no wonder that you’re looking for loans to pay bills.

We at DoNotPay want you to know that there’s nothing wrong with being unable to pay off your bills. Millions of people are in the same spot, so don’t think that you’re alone in this.

If you need help finding the right loan to pay bills, DoNotPay can assist you.

How can DoNotPay help me apply for a loan to pay bills?

DoNotPay can help you find the best and most suitable options for loans for bills. All you need to do is follow these simple steps:

  1. Access the DoNotPay app through your
  2. Select the ‘Corona Relief’ option’
  3. Tell us what kind of help you would like to receive
  4. Give us some basic information about yourself

If you want to know what kind of information we need from you, it’s quite simple:

  • Your full name
  • Your residential address
  • Your email address
  • The circumstances that prevent you from paying your bills

Once you submit these pieces of information, we will present you with some options that we believe are the best fit for your particular needs.

As you can see, the whole process is straightforward and easy to follow. Our main goal was to make our app so user-friendly that anyone who knows how to open their browser can use it with ease.

Can I apply for a loan to pay off my bills?

Yes, you can apply for a loan to pay off your bills. If you want to proceed with this option, you need to make sure that you do your homework and get to know all the possibilities and what they entail.

We wouldn’t agree that this option is the best one, but if nothing else works out for you, don’t hesitate to apply for a loan. Just make sure that you do your diligent research on it.

Where can I find companies that give loans for bills?

If you’re looking for companies that give loans for bills, we recommend that you check these out.

CompanyPros

Cons

Plain Green Loans

  • Payment terms are flexible
  • Application is super quick
  • Interest rates are huge
  • Availability is limited to a number of states

GovLoans

  • Qualification standard is easy
  • Payment plans are flexible
  • Unpaid government loans can be a nightmare for delinquent accounts
  • Government has a lot more power when it comes to debt collection

US Bank

  • Interest rates are fixed
  • Origination fee doesn’t exist
  • Borrowers have to be customers of US Bank
  • Loan amounts are limited for online applicants

National Debt Relief

  • Payments are fixed
  • Repayment period is defined
  • Loans are limited
  • Interest rates are considerably high

Make sure that you do thorough research on each business before you apply for a loan. Don’t forget to ask what your options are and what they entail—this is the most crucial part of the entire process.

How can I understand my bills better?

The majority of Americans are unable to fully comprehend what certain items on their bills are supposed to stand for. To make things worse, there are thousands of different things that you can be billed for.

We believe that everyone should be able to understand their bills without putting much effort into it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case just yet. It feels like bill comprehension is reserved for those with the highest levels of education.

If you want to understand your utility bills better, we’ve made a list of some of the most common items that you can find in them:

Item

What it stands for

Energy use

This section of your bill will show you how much energy you’ve consumed during the latest billing cycle. It’s also common that the amount you paid for the previous bill shows up here. In case you get your gas and electricity from the same supplier, both will show up in this section.

Distribution fees

These fees consist of two charges—the first one is for the maintenance of wires and pipes used to transfer energy from the generator to your house. The second charge is for the building costs and the operation.

Transmission fees

Transmission fees will show you how much it costs to get the energy you consume from the generator to your house. This charge also partially includes the cost of pipe and wire maintenance. The gas and electricity you consume travel through wires and pipes, so it’s important that they’re well-kept.

Water Usage

On your water bill, you will be able to see how much water you’ve consumed during the latest billing cycle. It’s also likely that you will find a chart that compares your water consumption to your neighbor’s, for example. It’s supposed to help you better understand your habits.

Wholesale costs

Your supplier has to pay for the energy you consume—and this section will show you what the exact amount they pay is.

Wholesale costs are no joke—they have been growing to the point of no return over the years. There are no signs that they will come to a halt any time soon.

While it is true that your supplier has to pay more, we don’t think it’s okay for them to overcharge you as much as they do. People like you are struggling to make ends meet at the end of each month, and with the ever-growing costs, it doesn’t seem like the overall situation will get any better.

The one good thing about living in this day and age is that the market is packed with competition. If you want to reduce your cable or internet bills, for example, you can simply switch your provider and go with a cheaper one. Just because the bills are cheaper doesn’t mean they’re cheap, though.

Don’t get discouraged, though—there are many different ways in which you can reduce or find help for bill payments. The first thing you should do to help the situation is to look for errors in your bills.

As soon as you start analyzing your bills a bit more carefully, you’ll notice how often they appear. The ones you should be on the lookout for are:

  • Services you’ve canceled, but still got charged for
  • Services you see for the first time ever
  • Services you’ve never even received
  • Duplicate items

Services you’ve canceled, but got charged for

Once you cancel a service, make sure that you remember to look for it in your next bill. It is more common than any company would like to admit that they never even remove that service from your bills. Don’t let them overcharge you—businesses that want to take advantage of you rely on consumers’ negligence.

Services you see for the first time

Check all your bills for services you’ve never seen before. If you spot one, call the company’s customer care team immediately. Don’t wait—if you let it sit for too long, they could tell you that your complaint is invalid because too much time has passed by.

Services you’ve never received

If you happen to come across a service you’ve never even received, contact the company without any hesitation. Ask them to explain what that service is supposed to be and why you got charged for it. Fight for your right!

Duplicate items

Duplicate items are the most common type of mistake you will find in bills. You will be quite surprised to see how often they find their way to your bill. They are also super easy to detect, so don’t overlook them.

If you don’t feel like you have what it takes to spot all of these different mistakes, you can always get in touch with a consumer rights advisor. These advisors are experts at what they do, so don’t get shocked if they find three mistakes in two seconds.

Can I negotiate my bills?

Yes, you are allowed to try to negotiate your bills. If you come from a low-income household, you are the best candidate to achieve optimal results.

Using DoNotPay is the most fuss-free way of negotiating your bill. Access the app through your to find out how we can help you.

If you think that bill negotiation is the most suitable option for you, you should know that there are a few ways to go about this matter:

Financial aid options

How to go about it

Consumer rights advisor

  • Ask if you’re eligible to negotiate your bills
  • Ask if there are any other options
  • Ask if there’s anyone else you could reach out to for help if they can’t help

Price negotiation

  • Try to be the most polite version of yourself
  • Introduce yourself and explain your current circumstances that prevent you from paying your bill
  • Don’t beat around the bush—ask if there’s a way to negotiate your bill

Organizations that help pay bills

  • Find an organization that you believe would be most suitable for your specific needs
  • Ask what options you have
  • See if there are any requirements that you need to meet in order to receive help

Being that these options are time-consuming, we would recommend that you use DoNotPay. Our goal is to make this entire process as easy on you as possible, and we always have your best interest at heart.

Am I allowed to ask for an extension date for my bills?

Yes, if you think that asking for an extension date for your bills is the optimal option for your needs, you can feel free to do that. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help!

You should know that there are a few options when it comes to asking for extension dates:

  • Doing it in-person
  • Calling the company’s customer support team
  • Sending a letter

If you have no time to waste, then sending a letter is going to be the best way of dealing with this matter. DoNotPay can help you generate a letter in just a few easy steps:

  1. Enter the app either through your
  2. Choose the ‘Corona Relief’ option
  3. Let us know in which way you would like us to assist you
  4. Give us some basic information about yourself
  5. Tell us why you’re unable to pay off your bills

Once you finish following through these steps, it will take up to 48 hours for the process to be completed. It usually takes a lot less because we know what it’s like to be in an emergency. We want to make this process as smooth as possible.

If you would like us to send the letter in your stead, let us know. You don’t have to worry about how the letter will come off—we’ve been writing letters for a long time, and have become experts at it by now.

The most crucial thing about writing a letter is that it needs to be sensible to the receiving end. Having your best interest at heart, we assure you that your issue is in good hands.

Can I ask for a waiver on late fees for my bills?

Yes, if you think that asking for a waiver on late fees for your bills is the best option, go for it. You should know that there are a few ways to ask for it, though. You can do it by:

  • Consulting a lawyer
  • Consulting a consumer rights advisor
  • Going there in-person
  • Calling your supplier’s customer support team
  • Sending a letter

In case you don’t have much time to waste, you shouldn’t consider calling the supplier’s customer support team or going there in-person—but if you want to call either way, DoNotPay can help you jump the phone queue.

If you don’t have enough money to cover your bills, you probably won’t be able to afford a lawyer consultation either.

The best and most fuss-free option, in that case, would be to send a letter. DoNotPay can help you with that, as we’ve already mentioned. All you need to do is provide us with some basic information about yourself and let us do the harder part of the work for you. We can send the letter in your stead if you feel like that would make the situation easier for you.

Can I pay off my bill with my credit card?

Yes, if paying off your bill with your credit card seems like the most suitable option for you, you can do that. The only thing you should be aware of is the severe credit score damage you could cause. If your bill has piled up so much that it’s enormous at this point, we wouldn’t recommend this option. You can feel free to use your credit card if the cost of your bills is agreeable.

How can I reduce my bills effectively?

If you want to reduce your bills, there are plenty of ways in which you can achieve that. Adopting more economical habits is going to save you lots of money in the long run.

In case you’re looking for the best ways to lower your monthly bills, try one of these:

  • Change your energy supplier. There are so many different energy suppliers to choose from. The competition is quite dense, and you can use this to your advantage. Look for suppliers that charge less than your current one, and you will start saving lots of money.
  • Save up on your water. You can’t change your water supplier, but you can make sure to cut the costs. For example, you can switch to an efficient showerhead, install a water meter, and stop taking baths. We know that baths are more pleasant than showers, but they aren’t as environmentally friendly as showers are, and they will drain your wallet.
  • Call your home phone provider. If you’re looking to reduce your home phone bill, you can call the company’s customer support and negotiate the price. In case they refuse to reduce it, it will allow you to look for a cheaper provider.
  • Try to pay the bills on time. The earlier you pay off your bills, the better for your financial stability. If you let your bills pile up over time, the initial amount will keep increasing until you’re unable to pay for them without a financial aid option.
  • Stop using tumble-dryers to reduce your utility bills. Tumble-dryers are probably the biggest energy drainers you’ll find in your house. Instead of using this machine, start drying your laundry either outside or on a clothes horse. It’s going to take a lot longer, but it will be worth it at the end of the month.
  • Start using energy-efficient lightbulbs. They don’t cost much these days, so if you’re able to invest in them, do it immediately. Did you know that energy-efficient light bulbs last up to ten times longer than the traditional ones? Replace your old light bulbs with these to lower your bills efficiently.
  • Replace your traditional machines with energy-efficient ones. The market is packed with energy-efficient freezers, dishwashers, fridges, washing machines, etc. They aren’t as expensive as they used to be, and they drain much less energy than the traditional versions.
  • Keep your doors and windows shut during winter and summer. If you keep your windows and doors open during summer, you will let steaming hot air into your house, which results in your using the AC more often. It also works the other way around—don’t let the freezing winter air in because you will turn up your heating. Your electricity bills will go through the roof, so make sure everything’s closed.

Is there any other way DoNotPay can help me?

DoNotPay comes with numerous different features that enable us to help you when you need it the most. Check out our app through your to be up-to-date with our latest services.

Among other things, DoNotPay can help you out with:

Fight for your rights