Customers behind on their utility bills have three more months of assurance they will not get their power shut off for non-payment after the California Public Utilities Commission passed an extension on Thursday. To learn about these payment programs, and whether they are offered by your utility, please contact your utility. Wolf told commissioners he knew the moratorium couldnt continue indefinitely, but he urged them to continue the protections that are in place for low-income Pennsylvanians. 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 without a way to connect to their jobs or schools. All rights reserved. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. April 1, 2021: Electric, gas, and water utilities submit final Emergency Utility Customer Protection Transition Plan Advice Letters to CPUC. Even without the moratorium on shutoffs, most utility companies have been generous this year. The good news: After we confirmed to Fields' provider that she would be getting pandemic aid to pay the bill, the utility agreed to restore her electricity. He also has been a legal policy advisor for the Pierce County Council and has worked in contract administration. Find information on what the CPUC and utilities under its jurisdiction are doing to support communities during these challenging times. 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. Water utilities were asked to submit any disconnection plans for review this month. Nowak has previously urged the commission to work with the Evers administration to provide assistance to water customers in need through CARES Act funding. Water and electrical services have a statutory lien under RCW 35.21.290, but enforcement of the lien is limited to shutting off the utility by RCW 35.21.300. In these unsettling and unprecedented times, many people are 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. If you have been switched without your permission, you should file a complaint with the Department of Public Utilities. Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Pacific Power are taking the step until further notice. The Biden Administration and Congress have not acted on urgent calls to ban water shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Electric and gas utility contact information is provided below: You can considercontacting Mass Savefor an energy efficiency audit. (Allied organizations have also submitted similar recommendations to HHS, including a letter organized by frontline advocates that NRDC also joined.). Last month, Ayanna McClure learned how quickly landlords were filing eviction notices when the moratoriums expired. If you are a customer of a municipal utility, call your municipal utility immediately to ask about any assistance programs that may be available. March 17, 2020: CPUC Ensures Essential Utility Services for Consumers to Assist in COVID-19 Mitigation. Please see below for contact numbers for each investor-owned electric and gas utility. Please do not include personal or contact information. Gavin Newsom went into effect in March 2020, the utilities commission announced power companies could not disconnect services to customers for one year. BGE Customers With Disconnected Service Can Get Service Restored During COVID-19 Pandemic. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program that helps low-income homeowners and renters pay for utility and heating bills. travels to Asia to strengthen business ties, How major US stock indexes fared Friday 3/3/2023, There is nothing warm and welcoming about it. San Diegos cruise ship terminal will get first makeover in 40 years, How to get your security deposit back in San Diego, Rapid reversal of price growth: San Diego home prices declining more quickly than other cities, San Diego rent increases are slowing. For resources and updates about New Jerseys response to COVID-19, visit the COVID-19 Information Hub. Consumer advocates and those who manage programs to assist customers, such as the Dollar Energy Fund, are warning those facing shutoff notices to not wait until the last minute to get help. Utilities said that few customers responded to pleas to enroll in payment plans or to apply for assistance, and few customers were shut off. Gov. San Diego Gas & Electric residential customer bills. 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 . States should heed the same recommendations as they set up their own programs to administer LIHWAP funds. Information on testing, vaccines, and help finding appointments near you. South Carolina utilities will stop cutting service to customers with unpaid bills during the novel coronavirus pandemic. update email soon. 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. Have a problem?Send me an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or message me on Facebook. 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. Customers should make payments toward their utility bills if they can. Between November 15th and March 15th, residential customers are protected from utility shut off if the utility service is needed to heat your home and you receive service from an investor-owned utility, such as Eversource, National Grid, Unitil, Liberty Utilities, or Berkshire Gas. We will Six utilities serving more than 21 million Californians have announced that they will not shut off customers' power for non-payment as the coronavirus continues to disrupt daily life. The move comes after S.C. Gov. In addition to your utility, you can contact the Department of Public Utilitiesat877-886-5066, or completetheir online complaint form. He has indicated that this will be the final extension. Under state law, water utilities can still collect past-due bills by putting those expenses onto the property tax roll. Further, the prohibitions on disconnecting or refusing to reconnect these services was limited by the language of the proclamations to residential service, but the prohibition on charging late fees did not include that limitation. The grace period for residential cable and internet for customers with school-aged children ended on December 31, 2021. If a small business enrolls in an electric or gas payment plan with its investor-owned utility company and the business makes its payments, it will be protected from electric or gas service disconnection for the duration of the payment plan. Customers with higher income levels will be offered payment plans of at least one or two years. Some individual water utilities are continuing to suspend shutoffs, even after state bans expire, while some others never do shutoffs at all for non-payment. They should also check our Assistance Programs page for information about assistance programs or use the DCAid online screening tool to apply for financial assistance from the State of New Jersey. Steve Gross Please limit your input to 500 characters. and utilities under its jurisdiction are doing to support communities Try now to get LIHEAP funds, Dollar Energy Fund help or emergency assistance, they said. These programs are voluntary, and you can opt out at any time. If you get your electricity or gas from an individual competitive supplier and are paying a high rate,consider canceling your contract so that you may return to buying your electric and gas supply from your utility (often called basic service). 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. Plus, more than half the amount owed comes from customers not enrolled in assistance programs that help defray utility bills. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. With clear criteria, the governing body can delegate the authority to write-off the debt to staff without further involvement from the governing body. The proclamations required these utilities to developCOVID-19 customer support programsthat would address payment plan options for residential customers who are in arrears due to COVID-19-related circumstances. Southern states are more frequently turning to pay-to-use express lanes as a way to address highway congestion without raising taxes. Thanks for signing up. The risk of disconnection disproportionately harms communities of color. Remember that for city-owned utilities,RCW 35.67.210 and RCW 35.67.215 apply to sewage liens. For policy examples, see our Ask MRSC Archives question: Is there a process for cities to write-off bad debt?. The four-month lien limit on water services (enforceable only by water shut-off) is extended by: The period in which the lien may be imposed is the later of: (a) Three months from the expiration of the emergency declaration preventing collection or a lien; or (b) Three months of the ratepayer's failure to abide by the terms of an agreed payment plan, if the payment plan for past due charges would have allowed the ratepayer to repay the past due charges over a period of six months or more. One water system has already said that it will resume shutoffs the next day. 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. Kathy Hochul announced the vast majority of $567 million dedicated to help low-income electric and gas utility customers pay off past utility bills will be reflected on customers' August bills. It also notes where federal agencies have not yet provided critical details, such as how the program funds will be allocated and how programs will be structured. Those figures were roughly the same in April 2018. The proclamations said that customers "shall not be charged" late fees for energy, telecommunications, or water services between March 23, 2020, and September 30, 2021. It can reduce electric bills 30 to 35 percent. 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. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. 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;. You can also go towww.heatinghelpma.orgto find more information about your local community action agency and eligibility. Between November 15th and March 15th, residential customers are protected from utility shut offif the utility service is needed to heat your homeand you receive service from an investor-owned utility, such as Eversource, National Grid, Unitil, Liberty Utilities, or Berkshire Gas. The commission, known as the CPUC for short, extended the moratorium earlier this year but it was set to run out June 30. At least one of those states (Wisconsin) is set to end its moratorium on April 15, placing over 20,000 households at risk of shutoff. "I'm charging my cell phone in my truck when I can. Budget billing equalizes monthly payments over the course of 12 months so that you pay a predictable amount each month instead of seeing your bill amount fluctuate depending on the season, the price of energy, and customer usage. Many residents are struggling to pay their bills, including their monthly utility bills, following the COVID-19 crisis and due to the currently high fossil fuel prices. CAPP will be administered by the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD). For businesses, the plan ensures that the monthly payment does not exceed 10 percent of the customers average monthly bill. Last month, regulators voted 2 to 1 to extend a temporary moratorium on utility shutoffs during the COVID-19 crisis for residential customers until Nov. 1. Payment plans can help avoid service shut-offs. State Disclosures, Senior Attorney and Director, Urban Water Infrastructure, People & Communities Program. 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. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Customers can opt out of the plan if they want. On June 14, Governor Murphy announced that the moratorium on utility service shutoffs will end as of July 1, 2021. March 27, 2020: Joint Letters to IOUs re: Essential Wildfire and PSPS Mitigation Work, March 20, 2020: Business Continuity and COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Response Plans. She's argued for more targeted solutions to provide assistance to customers in need, highlighting that utilities are required to work out a down payment plan with customers during the pandemic. On this webpage you will find information on what the CPUC Receive MRSC's latest articles and analysis through our Weekly Insights e-newsletter. The decision also calls on utilities to document follow-up efforts with community-based organizations to make sure hard-to-reach customers can sign up for relief programs. The financial impact of the pandemic has been devastating for many in our community and helping our customers by providing flexible payment options and access to bill assistance resources has been a priority for us, Prince said in an email. COVID-19 Utilities in Wisconsin will once again be able to shut off services for customers who fail to pay their bills. Last month, regulators voted 2 to 1 to extend a temporary moratorium on utility shutoffs during the COVID-19 crisis for residential customers until Nov. 1. The AGO issued a 2018reportand2019 update,and2021 updatethat found that Massachusetts customers typically lost money on competitive electric supply. If your household income is between 60 to 80% of the state median income, you may be able to receive help from theGood Neighbor Energy Fund. you should file a complaint with the Department of Public Utilities, current and historic basic service rates here, Frequently Asked Questions about Water Utilities During COVID-19, Contact the Attorney General's Office at (617) 727-2200. But if you are falling behind on utilities, get help as soon as possible so you are not shut off. The Washington State Department of Commerce has assembledresources for utility customers behind on their payments, and the Washington Department of Healths Office of Drinking Water has a customer assistance program. The order also applies to small-business customers who have bills at least 60 days past due. For water-sewer districts considering rate forgiveness,RCW 57.08.014requires the district to notify all ratepayers of the special rates and any associated cost shifts. HARRISBURGThe moratorium on utility shutoffs expires at the end of the month, leaving more than 1 million Pennsylvania households at risk of losing their electricity, gas, water and telephone service. This chart from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)provides more detailed household income information. For more information about which programs you may be eligible for, use DCA's screening tool. 229; Executive Order No. Commissioners said utility companies may forgive a portion of the debt for low-income customers who stay current on their payments. An increase in your homes energy efficiency should result in lower utility bills over time. Do we have to have a location open during this time to accept papers? Valcq pointed out that similar assistance programs do not exist for water customers. The more you pay now the less you will have to make up later. The Utilities and Transportation Commission also ordered investor-owned utilities to continue waiving new customer deposits and late fees through Oct. 27, 2021. *Note:This combined total for New York City and California is likely a conservative estimate. At all other times, if you are experiencing financial hardshipandone of the following applies, your electric or gas cannot be shut off without permission from the Department of Public Utilities: In addition, payment plans are available to avoid shut off and manage utility bills. PUC Chair Gladys Brown Dutrieuille said its time to return to the regular collections process.. OLYMPIA, WA - With a bipartisan 64-31 vote, the Washington State House passed a bill to ensure a utility operator cannot shut off power or water when the National Weather Service issues a heat-related warning or alert. The bill also extends the time for cities and counties to impose a sewage lien: A sewage lien may exceed six months' delinquent charges without the necessity of any writing or recording if collection of charges was impacted by the declaration of an emergency by the governor. The commissioners did not heed that call. Under the terms of the CPUCs vote, utility companies will automatically enroll residential customers who are more than 60 days behind on their energy bills to a COVID-19 Residential Relief Payment Plan that will amortize their debt over a 24-month period. To help bridge this divide, the CPUC approved a partnership with the Department of Education to fund $5 million in devices for students in need. Fields, meanwhile, has applied for pandemic aid through the state. Sign up now! June 30, 2021: Emergency Customer Protections expire. The proclamations also did not prohibit any utility from disconnecting water, power, or telecommunications service if the customer does not comply with the terms of a payment plan. In addition, any Massachusetts consumer who signs a contract with a competitive supplier should actively monitor their electric supply costs each month to ensure the rate that the supplier charges them is the same rate that was agreed to under the contract. The proclamations said that customers shall not be charged late fees for energy, telecommunications, or water services between March 23, 2020, and September 30, 2021. With expanded income eligibility for some programs, more New Jerseyans are now eligible for utility assistance. We offered specific program design recommendations to deliver assistance to those with the greatest need; maximize public health benefits by using program funds to protect access to essential water service; ensure accountability for program spending by states and utilities; and generate data to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and determine how to improve upon it. You can check outcurrent and historic basic service rates here. Municipal Elections Running for Office A federal program can help. More than 1 million customers were eligible for termination when Wolf sent the letter a month ago. Anyone facing eviction should seek legal assistance, go to . Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. DHCD has a toll-free hotline,1-800-632-8175, that is multi-language and will quickly direct you to your local community action agency that can help answer additional questions about eligibility and process your LIHEAP application. California has been here before, Feds using enhanced surveillance to see whats behind the natural gas spike in California, Paid express lanes grow more popular in once-reluctant South. Utilities - Billing and Collection. She cited lower unemployment and COVID-19 infection rates, and pointed to the latest federal stimulus among the reasons the moratorium could be lifted. Moratoriums on disconnects expiring across the US. In addition, more than 5,000 utility customers statewide have received $2.8 million from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program that helps renters with unpaid bills and California was allocated $1.5 billion through the American Rescue Plan Act that homeowners can apply to utility bill relief. MRSC offers a wide range of services to local governments and our contract partners in Washington State. 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 by 8.7% and deaths by 14.8%. But many utility companies have said without the threat of a shut-off notice, their bills would go unpaid. , If you need help paying your utility bills or your arrears, visit the Board of Public Utilities' Assistance Programs page. 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. The PUC approved a motion that will allow customers to set up payment plans with their utility companies that could extend for five years for low-income families and at least 18 months for small businesses. Can it be done by appointment? Under these programs, your city or town negotiates a supply rate with a competitive supplier for its residents. But the majority of these orders are . Nearly one-third of residential customers among the state's five largest utilities had past-due bills as of August, according to data provided to the commission. Illinois' moratorium on utility shut-offs during the COVID-19 pandemic ends Wednesday, but there is still help available for anyone who needs assistance paying bills. These funds can help millions keep their water running and dig out from a mountain of utility debt, while helping utilities offset decreased revenue without raising rates. For more information, see Utilities and Landlord/Tenant Issues. But, thewinter moratorium doesnot apply to water utilities. ones. These LIHEAP funds, combined with assistance from ERAP, will significantly reduce the impact of the lifting of the moratorium, and prevent potentially hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians from facing termination, Wolf said. For collection of delinquent amounts by water-sewer districts, the procedures in RCW 57.08.081control. Why is my BGE bill so high 2021? 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. 8, even as sewage contamination led to closures for 35 days last year. The Utilities and Transportation Commission also. A utility company generally can't turn off the heat, electricity or power during cold or hot weather. To be eligible for your electric or gas utilitys low-income discount rate program or the arrearage management program (AMP), you must either qualify for LIHEAP funding, or receive food, cash, or medical benefits from the state. 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. Most of the assistance is provided through new, emergency programs, although some is provided through pre-existing programs. The proclamations did not prohibit disconnecting sewer and storm services (if practical) for non-payment. This blog is co-authored by Larry Levine (NRDC) and Olivia Wein (National Consumer Law Center). This is true even if you are behind on rent. "I think that we could have been narrower, help those in need, prevent people from digging a bigger hole than they're already in, and eventually driving up rates for everybody," said Nowak. According toRCW 19.16.500(1)(b),utilities may also add a reasonable collections fee to the outstandingdebt. VIDEO: State regulators considering banning all electricity cutoffs for non-payment until next April. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy We are using lanterns to get ready for work.". 505 Van Ness Avenue The order protects consumers who may not be able to pay for their water service from shutoffs. However, the question remains as to what actions local utilities can take to collect past-due amounts. But this part-time warehouse worker says she was battling COVID, and was out of work for weeks. 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. Those balances amounted to $235.7 million. Mashelle Fields is one of them, living off batteries and borrowed power in her apartment. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling COVID-19 are running out of options. 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. Water Utilities Will Not Be Able To Disconnect Service After PSC Vote. Only eight states have statewide water shutoff moratoria in place today. 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. Electricity and Gas are essential servicesthats why it is important that customers know their rights and where they can go for help if they need it. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. The Governor's Executive Order establishes a six-month grace period in which no residential customer will face disconnection of their gas, electric, or water services before the end of the grace period on December 31, 2021.