Most Massachusetts investor-owned electric and gas utility companies offer deferred payment arrangements which allow the customer to set up a customized, manageable payment plan. Visithereor the Cold Relief Heatline at (800) 632-8175 to find your local community action agency where you can apply for LIHEAP. For additional FAQs about NJBPU's processes during the COVID-19 statewide response, click here. The actions are in response to customers who are unable to pay their utility bills during the COVID-19 economic crisis. Cities like Madison and progressive groups have urged the commission to extend its moratorium on utility disconnections, arguing people can't stay safe or thrive without service. The Wolf Administration is working to get money provided by the December stimulus package and the American Rescue Plan in March out to qualifying renters and utility customers as quickly as possible to help with overdue balances, the governors press secretary Lyndsay Kensinger said. You may want to consider adopting a policy that will authorize you to write-off uncollectible debt. March 1 2023, Changes for 2022 Annual Reporting for Cash Basis Entities A second possibility is that you are receiving supply from a competitive supplier that markets and sells to individual customers. Remember that for city-owned utilities,RCW 35.67.210 and RCW 35.67.215 apply to sewage liens. "You don't get medical pay period when you are a temp worker," she explained. In California, the reported $1 billion in overdue residential bills includes about $600 million for customers of water utilities or combined water/sewer utilities, and about $400 million for customers who receive a combined bill for water and power from the same utility. She also noted that the 9,500 customers represented the number of meters that would be shut off, and that more people whoresided in any of those households were also at risk of losing service. Final Transition Plan Advice Letters available on. Utility Collection Deferrals, Shutoffs, and Payment Plans. All rights reserved. If you are a customer of a municipal utility, call your municipal utility immediately to ask about any assistance programs that may be available. of King v. Ne. For small business customers of an investor-owned utility, enrolling in a payment plan may protect your business from electric or gas shut off if you cannot afford your current balance. When the state reopened in mid-June, Newsom quietly extended the moratorium on water shutoffs to Sept. 30. For more information about the Winter Termination Program, call 800-624-0241. Can a power company turn off power? Income eligibility is evaluated based on your gross household income for the past 4 weeks. We will New Jersey has again extended its moratorium on companies shutting off residents' utilities through June 30, as the state continues to cope with the coronavirus pandemic one year after the . 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. You can also go towww.heatinghelpma.orgto find more information about your local community action agency and eligibility. 229; Executive Order No. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. Some page levels are currently hidden. If you need help paying your utility bills or your arrears, visit the Board of Public Utilities' Assistance Programs page. Those balances amounted to $235.7 million. If you qualify as income eligible, there are several programs, including: (1) Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federally-funded program that helps Massachusetts residents pay their heating bills; (2) the low-income discount rate program for investor-owned electric and gas utility customers; and (3) arrearage management programs (AMPs) for investor-owned electric and gas utility customers. We want all Massachusetts residents to be aware of thenew and expanded programs available to assist them in paying their home heating bills. and utilities under its jurisdiction are doing to support communities Utilities in Wisconsin will once again be able to shut off services for customers who fail to pay their bills. If you are a small business customer that receives electric or gas service through a municipal utility, call your municipal utility to see what programs they offer to help avoid disconnection. Lake Washington Sewer & Water Dist. Shutoffs were allowed to resume Nov. 9 for some nonpaying customers, but existing commissionguidelines protected customers with income less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. At least 30 days before assigningdebt, theutility must first attempt to notify the debtor of the existence of thedebtand that thedebtmay be assigned to a collection agency if not paid. The decision means that utilities will not be able to shut off water, power or heat during the winter months. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. In addition to requesting assistance from your electric or gas utility, residential customers should also contact their local community action agency, as there may be funds available to assist households who earn more than 60 % of the state median income, but still need assistance paying their bills. These programs are voluntary, and you can opt out at any time. Individual competitive suppliers (in other words, suppliers that are not part of a community choice program) often charge higher rates than your utilitys rates. coronavirus State regulators on Tuesday extended protections against utility cutoffs for people who can't pay through April 30, 2021. Meanwhile, utility customers have amassed large, unpaid bills, as a majority of the state has been working from home and using more energy. In the case of small businesses in disadvantaged communities, the payment cannot exceed 5 percent of the customers average monthly bill. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission voted 2 to 1 to ban all utility disconnections until next April. The decision means that utilities will not be able to shut off water, power or heat during the winter months. Unlike AMP, utility customersdo not need to applyto receive assistance under the CAPP program. Puget Sound Energy reported giving $7.6 million in bill credits to nearly 14,000 customers. If your household income is 60% or less of the state median income, you are eligible for LIHEAP. Is there a process for cities to write-off bad debt? We will be monitoring very closely the extent to which state and federal funding efforts address the debt that consumers face, Rechtschaffen said. A recent report by Duke University researchers found that, if utility disconnections had been barred nationwide from March through November 2020, COVID-19 infections rates could have been reduced . Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program payments were down 40% compared to the previous year, according to PUC data. April 1, 2021: Electric, gas, and water utilities submit final Emergency Utility Customer Protection Transition Plan Advice Letters to CPUC. Water and other utility services already have been disconnected for at least hundreds of thousands families unable to pay these bills, with more at risk every day. We know this has been an extremely difficult time for our customers. For policy examples, see our Ask MRSC Archives question: Is there a process for cities to write-off bad debt?. We will use this information to improve this page. 2023 Cox Media Group. "I'm charging my cell phone in my truck when I can. HEAP is a seasonal program. The financial effect of the pandemic has hit utility customers hard in California, a state that is home to one of the highest electricity rates in the country. A deadlocked Public Utility Commission earlier this month ensured utility companies could move forward with terminations starting April 1, potentially leaving low-income workers and students. (Rob Nikolewski/The San Diego Union-Tribune), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, California Public Utilities Commission passed an extension, extended the moratorium earlier this year, one of the highest electricity rates in the country, California Alternate Rates for Energy, or CARE, and the Family Electric Rates Assistance, or FERA programs, Is your utility bill going to get even higher? of King v. Ne. As an alternative to the collection provisions in that section, RCW 36.94.150(3) allows the county to adopt the procedures in RCW 35.67.290 for collection. You should also closely review your electric and gas utility bills to determine whether you are buying your electric or gas supply from your utility or from another entity, often called a competitive supplier. This new law provides several important safeguards for residential utility customers by: prohibiting shutoffs during the COVID-19 state of emergency for non-payment of a utility bill;. Southern states are more frequently turning to pay-to-use express lanes as a way to address highway congestion without raising taxes. If you received a shut-off notice from your electric or gas utility, call your utility immediately and ask to enroll in a payment plan. All in all, 83 out of 578 water utilities submitted plans to shut off service for more than 9,500 customers. In the past year, the CPUC and the states utilities stepped up efforts to get eligible customers to sign up for the California Alternate Rates for Energy, or CARE, and the Family Electric Rates Assistance, or FERA programs. Most states passed emergency laws banning evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic. According to research at Indiana University that looked at a nationally representative sample of households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, 20% of Black households and 28% of Hispanic households reported being unable to pay an energy bill between June and August 2020, compared to just 12% of white households. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Texas regulators vote to ban residential utility shut-offs during pandemic while buoying companies The Texas Public Utility Commission approved an order Thursday that would ban. In New York City, the numbers reported include only water and sewer accounts that are at least 180 days overdue; the total of all overdue water and sewer bills in New York City is certainly much higher. You can alsofile a consumer complaintwith the Attorney General's Consumer Advocacy and Response Division or by calling our hotline at 617-727-8400. He said they're trying to work with customers on payment plans, but the decision means some customers will have $4,000 in outstanding bills by next April. Please let us know how we can improve this page. But utilities will have to balance their need to maintain their revenue stream with the reality that some of their customers may not have the ability to pay the past-due debt and keep up with current expenses. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling COVID-19 are running out of options. In other words, they do not prohibit your payment plans from including interest or late fees for missing a payment after the effective date of the payment plan. If you are a residential customer struggling to pay your utility bills, behind on your payments, or interested in more regular payments, reach out to your electric or gas utility to discuss available payment plans and payment assistance programs that may be available. Anyone facing eviction should seek legal assistance, go to . Many customers financial situations have changed during the pandemic.