Visithereor the Cold Relief Heatline at (800) 632-8175 to find your local community action agency where you can apply for LIHEAP. Hochul announces rollout of electric and gas utility bill credits for Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Preparation Plans In its decision, the commission said the combination of the moratorium extension and the two-year amortization plans will relieve customers of the threat of disconnection and put them on a path toward solvency.. (Allied organizations have also submitted similar recommendations to HHS, including a letter organized by frontline advocates that NRDC also joined.). 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. Under these programs, your city or town negotiates a supply rate with a competitive supplier for its residents. The more you pay now the less you will have to make up later. Moratoriums on disconnects expiring across the US. The electric utilities are responsible for operating their systems, including the decision to conduct a Public Safety Power Shutoff as a last resort. 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. 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. Utilities also offer another way to stay on top of your bills called budget billing. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. NRDC and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) have just published a new fact sheet summarizing six federal COVID-19 relief programs that are either dedicated to, or can be used for, low income water and wastewater assistance. So even before there was a mandate to do so, we voluntarily suspended disconnections in early March, said Janet Kim, of PSE. 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. 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. March 20, 2020: The CPUC has temporarily waived the hard copy filing requirements for our Advice Letter process. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program payments were down 40% compared to the previous year, according to PUC data. Gov. In addition to Texas Utility Help, the following programs exist to help people pay utilities Also: Help for Texans (TDHCA) March 17, 2020: CPUC Ensures Essential Utility Services for Consumers to Assist in COVID-19 Mitigation. Most of the assistance is provided through new, emergency programs, although some is provided through pre-existing programs. Are we in violation of a law if we do not have a location that is open to the public to serve? Commissioners said utility companies may forgive a portion of the debt for low-income customers who stay current on their payments. Henry McMaster urged the companies in a . Want to know more about the team behind MRSC or contact a specific staff member? Pa. lifts moratorium on pandemic shutoffs and allows utilities to As a quick refresher, take a look at MRSCs Collection Practices for Delinquent Utility Accountswebpage, our Utility Liens and Shutoffs Tool, and our February 22, 2021 blog:A Quick Guide to Utility Account Overcharges, Undercharges, and the Statute of Limitations. of King v. Ne. She cited lower unemployment and COVID-19 infection rates, and pointed to the latest federal stimulus among the reasons the moratorium could be lifted. If you are homebound, you may request a home visit to apply for HEAP. 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. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy On this webpage you will find information on what the CPUC Steve has worked in municipal law and government for over 20 years as an Assistant City Attorney for Lynnwood, Seattle, Tacoma, and Auburn, and as the City Attorney for Port Townsend and Auburn. coronavirus State regulators on Tuesday extended protections against utility cutoffs for people who cant pay through April 30, 2021. NJ residents must make utility bill payments by 2021 or risk shut-offs What is a local government agency's responsibility to be available to accept legal papers served by a processor during COVID-19, especially when they have closed their offices to the public? Please do not include personal or contact information. Many customers financial situations have changed during the pandemic. Residential customers making payments under payment plans with their investor-owned electric or gas utility will remain protected from shut-off as long as they make payments under the payment schedule. All told, some $1.33 billion in past-due bills have piled up statewide. PRA/OPMA E-Learning Courses Free video courses for city/town elected officials on the Public Records Act (PRA) and Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). NJBPUtook several other actions to issue guidance to the utility companies during the State of Emergency and Public Health Emergency, including: Water and Sewer Arrearages Summary as of September , 2022 (PDF). Can't pay your power bill? Don't worry, you're safe for now as You skipped the table of contents section. Puget Sound Energy reported giving $7.6 million in bill credits to nearly 14,000 customers. And while they applied to water and sewer districts as well as other municipally-owned utilities, the proclamations did not specifically include sewer or stormwater services. , Please let us know how we can improve this page. Most states passed emergency laws banning evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic. She is borrowing electricity from down the hall to keep her food from spoiling. Based on the plain language of the proclamations this is how we think they affect the utilities once the prohibitions expire. You can check outcurrent and historic basic service rates here. 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. Individual competitive suppliers (in other words, suppliers that are not part of a community choice program) often charge higher rates than your utilitys rates. Customers should consider the following: Replaced outdated light bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs. Mashelle Fields is one of them, living off batteries and borrowed power in her apartment. 1990)]. This blog is co-authored by Larry Levine (NRDC) and Olivia Wein (National Consumer Law Center). Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order Protecting Homes, Small Please limit your input to 500 characters. The CPUC is taking action to ensure that this does not become an added hardship for people who have lost their jobs or are otherwise suffering economically due to COVID-19, including, but not limited to: Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) This partnership was previously. 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. You can alsofile a consumer complaintwith the Attorney General's Consumer Advocacy and Response Division or by calling our hotline at 617-727-8400. 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. The California Public Utilities Commission also extended the power shutoff moratorium to Sept. 30, days before it was set to expire on June 30. Customers who are interested in installing solar panels or enrolling with community solar programs should visit the AGs Office FAQ with consumer tips at mass.gov/ago/solar. There is no similar prohibition for sewer or storm water services. For additional help, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has a variety of programs that can help with energy bills, water and sewer bills, rent costs, eviction prevention, and more. Utilities will be able to shut off services for people behind on bills Also, if a customer enters into a payment plan with their provider, many . And commissioners said utility companies told them many customers had not set up plans for repayment during the moratorium. But this part-time warehouse worker says she was battling COVID, and was out of work for weeks. 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. Click here for more on competitive electric suppliers. HEAP is a seasonal program. We know this has been an extremely difficult time for our customers. However, if a customer misses more than two payments in their COVID-19 relief plan, they can be kicked out of the plan. New Jersey also has a COVID-19 Hotline staffed by trained healthcare professionals who are standing by to answer your questions, 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week: To receive email updates from NJBPU,sign up here. Visit, For more information on community choice electric plans, also known as municipal aggregations, visit this website maintained by the Department of Public Utilities, In addition to your utility, you can contact the Department of Public Utilitiesat877-886-5066, or complete. Unlike AMP, utility customersdo not need to applyto receive assistance under the CAPP program. You can also go towww.heatinghelpma.orgto find more information about your local community action agency and eligibility. It allowed utilities to resume shutoffs on Nov. 9 but the ban was lifted for only three weeks before the annual winter shut-off went into effect on Dec. 1. *Note:This combined total for New York City and California is likely a conservative estimate. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. 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. Please see below for contact numbers for each investor-owned electric and gas utility. To leave anyone, especially children who rely on utilities to attend virtual school, without electricity or heat is unconscionable when these companies have guaranteed income and millions in revenue.. 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. 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. 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. For FAQs on the end of the moratorium and the six-month grace period, click here. This is true even if you are behind on rent. State extends utility cutoff protection through April 2021 All in all, 83 out of 578 water utilities submitted plans to shut off service for more than 9,500 customers. Plus, more than half the amount owed comes from customers not enrolled in assistance programs that help defray utility bills. Federal COVID-19 Relief for Water & Sewer Bills | NRDC Municipal Elections Running for Office ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. If you are a customer of a municipal utility, call your municipal utility immediately to ask about any assistance programs that may be available. Editor's note: This blog has been updated to remove references tostate guidance related to the creation of COVID-19 customer support programs. 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. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Frequently Asked Questions about Electric and Gas Utilities, is, Frequently Asked Questions about Electric and Gas Utilities. Maintaining access to water and other essential utility services remains as vital as ever to safeguard public health, as the pandemic continues. Under state law, water utilities can still collect past-due bills by putting those expenses onto the property tax roll. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. 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. Small businesses and nonprofits can apply for SBA disaster assistance programs online or seek assistance from SBAs Customer Service Center at 1-800-569-2955/1-800-877-8339 (TTY). The policy should provide clear criteria for allowing the debt to be written off and should apply to all types of accounts receivable (water, sewer, garbage, court fines, and other fees and charges that the utility may impose). Anyone facing eviction should seek legal assistance, go to . California Public Utilities Commission You may be eligible for assistance now, even if you have not been eligible in the past. 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. For county-owned utilities, RCW 36.94.150 authorizes a lien for sewerage and water. May 7, 2020: The CPUC temporarily modified rates for high energy use customers to minimize the impacts of electricity bills in the summer related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lake Washington Sewer & Water Dist. 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. Follow John on Instagram @johnmataresemoney, For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com. 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. 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 . February 27 2023, Integrating Best Available Science: New Tools for Land Use Planning & Emergency Management Eligible government agencies can use our free one-on-one inquiry service. The fact sheet provides a guide for advocates, utilities, and state and local officials who are seeking to help customers with past due and unaffordable water and sewer bills. Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps"). To learn about these payment programs, and whether they are offered by your utility, please contact your utility. COVID-19 February 22 2023. MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. In the first quarter of this year, more than 3.3 million residential customers of the states big four utilities have fallen behind on their bills: Applying SDG&Es figure to its overall residential customer total of about 1.326 million, that means 36.6 percent of SDG&E residential customers are in arrears. Utilities have argued an extension would make it more likely customers would fall further behind on their bills, which could result in utilities passing on those losses to all ratepayers. Final Transition Plan Advice Letters available on. For many of us, the accelerating rollout of COVID-19 vaccines provides hope for a light at the end of the tunnel. Can I get help paying my utilities? March 1 2023, Changes for 2022 Annual Reporting for Cash Basis Entities 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. Source: Executive Order No. The good news is that the recent federal COVID-19 relief packages including President Bidens American Rescue Plan enacted in March 2021 provide billions of dollars that can help low-income families struggling to pay their water and sewer bills. When the remaining state or local moratoria are lifted, residential water customers who lose shutoff protections will face billions of dollars in arrears. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Take steps to reduce your overall energy usage this winter, which should in turn help you lower your utility bill. Share this webpage and the flyer below with your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors to spread the word. Hous. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. But she learned that if you fall behind on those payment plans, it can be lights out. The number of customers who havent paid their bills increased 14% in the last year, but the amount they owe increased 76%, according to the Energy Association of Pennsylvania. Most states passed emergency laws banning evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic. The Energy 202: Biden under pressure to stop utility shutoffs during Call your electric or gas utility immediately to enroll. If you are unsure whether the supplier on your bill is part of a community choice electric plan, call or check your city or towns website to find out. 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. CARE is available to customers whose total household income is at or below specific income limits, such as $52,4000 for a family of four. The risk of disconnection disproportionately harms communities of color. Customers who need payment assistance should contact their utility as soon as possibleto ask about Deferred Payment Agreements (DPAs), and to learn what other assistance is available. 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. Plus, if they wish to accelerate or make larger payments, they may do so. For more information about the Winter Termination Program, call 800-624-0241. The number of people affected is alarming, according to a letter sent to the commission from Gov. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. The utility reported to the commission that 495 out of its roughly 3,000 customers would be eligible for disconnection. 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%. For businesses, the plan ensures that the monthly payment does not exceed 10 percent of the customers average monthly bill. 229; Executive Order No. Candy Woodall is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania Capital Bureau. PG&E is submitting separate biweekly corrective action progress reports that can be found on the docket card of the CPUCs Public Safety Power Shutoffrulemaking. Help with Utilities | Texas Law Help Auth. In addition to your utility, you can contact the Department of Public Utilitiesat877-886-5066, or completetheir online complaint form. 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. Customers with higher income levels will be offered payment plans of at least one or two years. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Board of Public Utilities | Newsroom & Public Notices 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. Jay Inslee previously ordered a moratorium on shut-offs, which he extended nine times. And the amount of unpaid bills had increased 67% since 2019 to $1 billion in February. PUC Chair Gladys Brown Dutrieuille said its time to return to the regular collections process.. But in cities and towns all around the country in Texas, Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Illinois, and more utilities have resumed cutting off water when people cant afford to pay. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. 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. Between November 15th and March 15th, residential customers are protected from utility shut off, At all other times, if you are experiencing financial hardship. The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to end the moratorium. Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Pacific Power are taking the step until further notice. 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. Information on testing, vaccines, and help finding appointments near you. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. PSC Chair Rebecca Cameron Valcq highlighted the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin. ones. The utility shutoff grace period ended on March 15, 2022 for all water, electric, and sewer customers. It may also violate the prohibition againstdiscriminating among similarly situated ratepayers [Hous. The New Jersey moratorium on gas and electric companies shutting off service due to non-payment during the coronavirus pandemic is set to expire at the end of the year and the state has sent . As state COVID-19 lockdown orders from Gov. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. 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. One possibility is that you are participating in your city or towns community choice electric plan. We will use this information to improve this page. SDG&E spokeswoman Sara Prince said the utility supports the CPUCs moves. Consumer advocates want to make sure all utilities are required to offer longer payment plans and forgive debt. Details wont be finalized until the governor approves the budget and the commission will take the $1 billion payments into consideration in a later proceeding. A utility company generally can't turn off the heat, electricity or power during cold or hot weather. If you are having trouble paying your electric, sewer, or water bills, you may be eligible to avoid disconnection through the Winter Termination Program. The grace period for residential cable and internet for customers with school-aged children ended on December 31, 2021. Sign up now! its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. 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. But many utility companies have said without the threat of a shut-off notice, their bills would go unpaid. Illinois utilities shut off moratorium ends Wednesday; how to get help He has indicated that this will be the final extension. "It just makes this problem compounding for the individual, and it's making the utility look like more of a bad guy in my eyes.".
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