Last month, Ayanna McClure learned how quickly landlords were filing eviction notices when the moratoriums expired. March 20, 2020: The CPUC has temporarily waived the hard copy filing requirements for our Advice Letter process. Customers should make payments toward their utility bills if they can. Utility Collection Deferrals, Shutoffs, and Payment Plans. San Diego Gas & Electric residential customer bills. 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. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. Ellen Nowak opposed the decision to prevent all water shutoffs during the winter months. But the majority of these orders are . 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. Utilities will continue to provide assistance programs. For county-owned utilities, RCW 36.94.150 authorizes a lien for sewerage and water. Some utilities stated they have been helping customers. Under the terms of the CPUC's 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. coronavirus State regulators on Tuesday extended protections against utility cutoffs for people who can't pay through April 30, 2021. 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. These programs are voluntary, and you can opt out at any time. 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. The policy should consider the variables for each type of receivable with specific criteria and internal controls in place to assure that the utilitys assets (receivables) are being safeguarded. 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. All told, some $1.33 billion in past-due bills have piled up statewide. With expanded income eligibility for some programs, more New Jerseyans are now eligible for utility assistance. 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). Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Preparation Plans 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. Using Electronic Signatures During Emergencies, Woodward says Spokane economic recovery continues, but problems loom. One possibility is that you are participating in your city or towns community choice electric plan. Any utilities who may disconnect service once the winter moratorium ends would also have to submit those plans to regulators by Feb. 15. LIHEAP is available this winter heating season from November 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Do we have to have a location open during this time to accept papers? Water Utilities Will Not Be Able To Disconnect Service After PSC Vote. 246; https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562021/approved/20211222a.shtml; https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/reports/covid19/Moratorium_Ending_FAQs_061421.pdf. Meanwhile, utility customers have amassed large, unpaid bills, as a majority of the state has been working from home and using more energy. States should heed the same recommendations as they set up their own programs to administer LIHWAP funds. If you need help paying your utility bills or your arrears, visit the Board of Public Utilities' Assistance Programs page. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. 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. This partnership was previously. 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. 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. Changes for 2022 Annual Reporting for Cash Basis Entities, Integrating Best Available Science: New Tools for Land Use Planning & Emergency Management, resources for utility customers behind on their payments, Collection Practices for Delinquent Utility Accounts, A Quick Guide to Utility Account Overcharges, Undercharges, and the Statute of Limitations. Want to know more about the team behind MRSC or contact a specific staff member? coronavirus State regulators on Tuesday extended protections against utility cutoffs for people who cant pay through April 30, 2021. Most of the assistance is provided through new, emergency programs, although some is provided through pre-existing programs. concerned about the health and safety of themselves and their loved The state regulator also approved a plan that requires utilities including San Diego Gas & Electric to automatically enroll customers who are lagging on monthly payments into a two-year debt relief program. 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. But, thewinter moratorium doesnot apply to water utilities. 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. https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562021/approved/20211222a.shtml, https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/reports/covid19/Moratorium_Ending_FAQs_061421.pdf. But if you are falling behind on utilities, get help as soon as possible so you are not shut off. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. The fact sheet describes what is currently known of the program and will be updated as HHS releases more information. Customers can opt out of the plan if they want. For more information, please visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. Aug. 13, 2020, at 12:14 p.m. Bills to Stop Paying During Coronavirus. *Note:This combined total for New York City and California is likely a conservative estimate. For policy examples, see our Ask MRSC Archives question: Is there a process for cities to write-off bad debt?. The utility reported to the commission that 495 out of its roughly 3,000 customers would be eligible for disconnection. Heres how to apply, Suspicions of manipulation in the natural gas market? 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. 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. That guidance was incorporated into Proclamation 20-23.6 to help utilities create their own programs. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, state and local governments have barred utility companies from shutting off services such as gas, electric and water. 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. PUC Chair Gladys Brown Dutrieuille said its time to return to the regular collections process.. The AMP provides customers with the opportunity to have all or a portion of an arrearage (or outstanding unpaid amounts due) forgiven in exchange for payments of an amount and on a schedule designed individually for each participant. Most states passed emergency laws banning evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. 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. He has indicated that this will be the final extension. Why is my BGE bill so high 2021? Many have indicated that if the moratoriums expire, they will cut customers off from power or heat, said Ruth Sawyer, of the Sierra Club. The Biden Administration and Congress have not acted on urgent calls to ban water shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your electric or gas utility may be able to arrange a new payment plan that you can afford and, at the same time, the utility can also check your eligibility to participate in a range of payment assistance programs (see discussion below about available residential electric or gas payment assistance programs). The Wisconsin Public Service Commission voted 2 to 1 to ban all utility disconnections until next April. MRSC has consolidated additional information in the Utility Collection Deferrals, Shutoffs, and Payment Plans section of our COVID-19 Small Business and Tenant Assistance Programs webpage. Final Transition Plan Advice Letters available on. And the amount of unpaid bills had increased 67% since 2019 to $1 billion in February. Governor Inslee issuedProclamation 20-23.16 on July 2, 2021, which extended the utility shutoff moratorium through September 30, 2021. 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). 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. Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Pacific Power are taking the step until further notice. Please visit theCSD websitefor more information. Under state law, water utilities can still collect past-due bills by putting those expenses onto the property tax roll. 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. You may want to consider adopting a policy that will authorize you to write-off uncollectible debt. September 7, 2021 8, even as sewage contamination led to closures for 35 days last year. For more information about the Winter Termination Program, call 800-624-0241. Even without the moratorium on shutoffs, most utility companies have been generous this year. The heat dome of 2021 claimed the lives of 157 people in Washington State . Plus, more than half the amount owed comes from customers not enrolled in assistance programs that help defray utility bills. The White House is proposing to spend $5 billion to cover home energy and water. Utilities in Wisconsin will once again be able to shut off services for customers who fail to pay their bills. If your household income is 60% or less of the state median income, you are eligible for LIHEAP. But many utility companies have said without the threat of a shut-off notice, their bills would go unpaid. Thanks for signing up. 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.. 229; Executive Order No. State Disclosures, Senior Attorney and Director, Urban Water Infrastructure, People & Communities Program. Most states passed emergency laws banning evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic. If a customer account is eligible, a credit will be automatically applied to the customer bill. Links to the 2020 briefing decks presented to CPUC and CAL FIRE can be found on the utility websites below. However, the question remains as to what actions local utilities can take to collect past-due amounts. The commissioners did not heed that call. For more information, see Utilities and Landlord/Tenant Issues. We will be monitoring very closely the extent to which state and federal funding efforts address the debt that consumers face, Rechtschaffen said. 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. Please let us know how we can improve this page. We will use this information to improve this page. The decision means that utilities will not be able to shut off water, power or heat during the winter months. 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. By comparison, about 12 percent of customers had past-due balances in April 2019, amounting to $184million. NRDC and NCLC have submitted recommendations to HHS on how to implement LIHWAP equitably and efficiently. SDG&E spokeswoman Sara Prince said the utility supports the CPUCs moves. April 30, 2021: CPUC Approves Emergency Utility Customer Protection Transition Plans. But this part-time warehouse worker says she was battling COVID, and was out of work for weeks. Please do not include personal or contact information. Eligible government agencies can use our free one-on-one inquiry service. But since many utilities issue a combined utility bill it may be difficult to separate out services for which it can charge late fees from those it cannot. 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. of Cty. It may also violate the prohibition againstdiscriminating among similarly situated ratepayers [Hous. keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. 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. The Proclamation 20-23 series (the proclamations) only applied to energy, telecommunications, or water services. 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. Other assistance programs for income-eligible customers are available year-round through investor-owned gas and electric utilities, including a low-income discount rate program, which helps make bills more manageable, and an arrearage management program (AMP), which helps customers who have an unpaid balance on their bill and are struggling to pay. However, you may want to stay with your community choice program this winter because many cities and towns currently have electricity rates that are lower than the rate available from the electric company. But she learned that if you fall behind on those payment plans, it can be lights out. According toRCW 19.16.500(1)(b),utilities may also add a reasonable collections fee to the outstandingdebt. A second possibility is that you are receiving supply from a competitive supplier that markets and sells to individual customers. 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. 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. 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. Based on the plain language of the proclamations this is how we think they affect the utilities once the prohibitions expire. The update also adds a link to the Washington State Department of Healths Customer Assistance Program. 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). 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. People can apply for assistance online at TRR's website or over the phone by calling the TRR call center at 833-9TX-RENT (833-989-7368).

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