Earlier this year, the commission reported that statewide enrollment in CARE has increased 13.6 percent and FERA enrollment shot up 45 percent. Utility Late Fee/Shutoff Moratorium Expires September 30: Now What? Thanks for signing up. Use this button to show and access all levels. Bill Protecting Washingtonians From Utility Shutoffs During Extreme 2023 www.goerie.com. The grace period for residential cable and internet for customers with school-aged children ended on December 31, 2021. 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. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. The more you pay now the less you will have to make up later. Between November 15th and March 15th, residential customers are protected from utility shut off, At all other times, if you are experiencing financial hardship. FERA is open to customers whose household incomes slightly exceed those eligible for CARE. 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. In addition, 2020 collection reports for the individual Electric Distribution Companies (EDC) and Gas Distribution Companies (GDC) are available via NJBPU's Public Document Searchtool. Electric and gas utility contact information is provided below: You can considercontacting Mass Savefor an energy efficiency audit. For more information, please visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. An additional "catch-all" category is also included for those who are unable to pay their utility bills because of circumstances beyond their control, such as unemployment or illness. In such circumstances, a lien may be filed for all charges due during the period covered by the declaration and may be effective for six months after the expiration of the declaration of the emergency. 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. Nearly 35 million households will lose their utility shutoff - CNBC N.J. again extends ban on utilities shutting off power, gas, water to If a customer account is eligible, a credit will be automatically applied to the customer bill. . Moratoriums on disconnects expiring across the US. The Biden Administration and Congress have not acted on urgent calls to ban water shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for your website feedback! It may also violate the prohibition againstdiscriminating among similarly situated ratepayers [Hous. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. April 1, 2021: Electric, gas, and water utilities submit final Emergency Utility Customer Protection Transition Plan Advice Letters to CPUC. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 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. Can I get help paying my utilities? Customers should consider the following: Replaced outdated light bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs. The utility reported to the commission that 495 out of its roughly 3,000 customers would be eligible for disconnection. Under state law, water utilities can still collect past-due bills by putting those expenses onto the property tax roll. Valcq pointed out that similar assistance programs do not exist for water customers. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program payments were down 40% compared to the previous year, according to PUC data. Here are prices in 10 communities, Charge by night, discharge by day: Electric school buses in El Cajon will send power to the grid, VMware, Broadcom rise; Marvell, Bumble fall, Initial public offerings scheduled to debut next week, Closing prices for crude oil, gold and other commodities, The implications of Walgreens decision on abortion pills, Nan Goldin is going to the Oscars, and she wants to win, World Bank: Quake caused damage worth $5.1 billion in Syria. We will be monitoring very closely the extent to which state and federal funding efforts address the debt that consumers face, Rechtschaffen said. Earlier this month, Gov. 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. However, the question remains as to what actions local utilities can take to collect past-due amounts. June 17, 2020: The CPUC presented its COVID-19 response. According toRCW 19.16.500(1)(b),utilities may also add a reasonable collections fee to the outstandingdebt. 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 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 electric shutoffs now expiring, Despite the continuing pandemic, Duke and other utilities are now disconnecting customers falling behind, as state moratoriums expire. The extension of the moratorium on shutoffs has been met with frustration by some, including Jason Bessette, general manager of New London Utilities. NJ residents must make utility bill payments by 2021 or risk shut-offs Consumer advocates want to make sure all utilities are required to offer longer payment plans and forgive debt. John Bel Edwards is traveling to Asia for a weeklong series of meetings with business leaders and policymakers in the hopes of growing foreign investment, Stocks rallied on Wall Street, climbing to their biggest gain in six weeks, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. 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. We want all Massachusetts residents to be aware of thenew and expanded programs available to assist them in paying their home heating bills. Using Electronic Signatures During Emergencies, Woodward says Spokane economic recovery continues, but problems loom. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. 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. One water system has already said that it will resume shutoffs the next day. Those figures were roughly the same in April 2018. Frequently Asked Questions about Electric and Gas Utilities Sign up today for a digital subscription. (Since interest is generally considered to be a penalty for non-payment it is probably included in late fees.). HEAP is a seasonal program. If your household income is 60% or less of the state median income, you are eligible for LIHEAP. Utilities in Wisconsin will once again be able to shut off services for customers who fail to pay their bills. For collection of delinquent amounts by water-sewer districts, the procedures in RCW 57.08.081control. So, late fees for commercial customers were also prohibited during the emergency. 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. 246; https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562021/approved/20211222a.shtml; https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/reports/covid19/Moratorium_Ending_FAQs_061421.pdf. A lock icon ( You may want to consider adopting a policy that will authorize you to write-off uncollectible debt. Municipal Elections Running for Office The utility shutoff grace period ended on March 15, 2022 for all water, electric, and sewer customers. Governor Inslee issuedProclamation 20-23.16 on July 2, 2021, which extended the utility shutoff moratorium through September 30, 2021. 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. All told, some $1.33 billion in past-due bills have piled up statewide. CPUC response letter that delays an already scheduled natural gas rate increase for Southern California Gas Company and SDG&E small business customers for 120 days to help reduce natural gas bills during the crisis. 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. Receive MRSC's latest articles and analysis through our Weekly Insights e-newsletter. 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. BGE Customers With Disconnected Service Can Get Service Restored During COVID-19 Pandemic. To learn about these payment programs, and whether they are offered by your utility, please contact your utility. If you are served by a municipal utility, it may or may not be shutting off customers for unpaid bills. The actions are in response to customers who are unable to pay their utility bills during the COVID-19 economic crisis. For more information about which programs you may be eligible for, use DCA's screening tool. Utilities resume the issuance of late payment notifications to customers and collection activities. Unlike AMP, utility customersdo not need to applyto receive assistance under the CAPP program. Individual competitive suppliers (in other words, suppliers that are not part of a community choice program) often charge higher rates than your utilitys rates. She said utility workers shut off her electricity over the weekend for non-payment going back several months. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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;. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. 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. 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. The state Department of Human Services has worked with counties to make available the money in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the $270 million infusion to LIHEAP from the federal American Relief Plan. "I didn't have the $300 they needed," she said. The Biden administration is pushing for more economic relief, but has not yet committed to stopping shut-offs. If you are homebound, you may request a home visit to apply for HEAP. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. So even before there was a mandate to do so, we voluntarily suspended disconnections in early March, said Janet Kim, of PSE. The CPUCs oversight consists of ensuring that the utilities are clear about the rules they must adhere to, monitoring the utilities preparation, and evaluating their implementation. Customers can opt out of the plan if they want. 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. Coronavirus in SC: Utilities stop shutoffs of water, power - The State 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. No, your landlord cannot shut off your utilities. The California Public Utilities Commission also extended the power shutoff moratorium to Sept. 30, days before it was set to expire on June 30.