Standard Utility Allowances
As of Oct. 1, 2008
The Standard
Utility Allowances (SUAs) listed below are optional at household
request, unless they are shown as mandatory. SUAs are standardized
utility figures States offer to households. They are used in place of
actual utility costs to calculate a household's total shelter costs.
(High shelter costs can result in a deduction from a household's net
income for excess shelter costs. That can mean a higher SNAP allotment.)
States calculate SUAs based on average utility costs in the State, or in
local areas of the State. It is generally in a household's interest to
use the SUA, unless its utility costs are high. In States with optional
SUAs, a household can elect to claim actual utility costs, but must
verify all the costs that it claims. The data presented here are based
on an FNS survey of the States.
Different states
use different terms to describe these allowances. For the purposes of
this table:
In Guam, Hawaii,
North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, the SUA’s depend
upon the SNAP household’s size. In Alaska and New York, the SUA’s
depend upon location.
Last modified:
12/04/2008
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