This partnership was previously. 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. As past-due balances grow, the commission is asking gas, electric and water utilities to submit comprehensive plans for dealing with delinquent bills by Jan. 15. 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. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. June 30, 2021: Emergency Customer Protections expire. during these challenging times. 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. For additional FAQs about NJBPU's processes during the COVID-19 statewide response, click here. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. Visithereor the Cold Relief Heatline at (800) 632-8175 to find your local community action agency where you can apply for LIHEAP. Using Electronic Signatures During Emergencies, Woodward says Spokane economic recovery continues, but problems loom. 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. 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. Also, utilities may assign delinquent customer debts to licensed collection agencies under the authority provided inRCW 19.16.500and pursuant to a written contract with a licensed agency. Southern states are more frequently turning to pay-to-use express lanes as a way to address highway congestion without raising taxes. March 17, 2020: CPUC Ensures Essential Utility Services for Consumers to Assist in COVID-19 Mitigation. 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. No, your landlord cannot shut off your utilities. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. 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. Bessette said that puts utilities in a tough spot with landlords whose tenants can't or won't pay. You, or someone in your home, is seriously ill; You have an infant under 12 months in your home; and, All adults in the home are age 65 or older, Customers who are interested in installing solar panels or enrolling with community solar programs should visit the AGs Office FAQ with consumer tips at, This chart from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), 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. If a customer account is eligible, a credit will be automatically applied to the customer bill. 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. . Individual competitive suppliers (in other words, suppliers that are not part of a community choice program) often charge higher rates than your utilitys rates. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and Category: If you need assistance, please Contact the Attorney General's Office at (617) 727-2200. HEAP is a seasonal program. Auth. Since it has not been referenced in any subsequent proclamations, the guidance may not have any legal effect. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program that helps low-income homeowners and renters pay for utility and heating bills. The commission, known as the CPUC for short, extended the moratorium earlier this year but it was set to run out June 30. "I guess the first day he could file for eviction, he did it," she told us after receiving an eviction notice. Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Pacific Power are taking the step until further notice. 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;. PSC Chair Rebecca Cameron Valcq highlighted the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin. You must re-apply each year and meet the qualifications to receive a HEAP benefit. 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 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). Some utilities stated they have been helping customers. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy 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. She said utility workers shut off her electricity over the weekend for non-payment going back several months. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The utility shutoff grace period ended on March 15, 2022 for all water, electric, and sewer customers. As state COVID-19 lockdown orders from Gov. However, the California data do not include arrears for customers of wastewater-only utilities. Earlier this year, the commission reported that statewide enrollment in CARE has increased 13.6 percent and FERA enrollment shot up 45 percent. Boeings CEO is missing out on a $7 million bonus because the companys new large jet is behind schedule, Louisiana Gov. 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. But this part-time warehouse worker says she was battling COVID, and was out of work for weeks. Enrollment does not prevent customers from accessing other financial programs that can help them reduce utility debt. 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%. 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. 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. concerned about the health and safety of themselves and their loved Plus, if they wish to accelerate or make larger payments, they may do so. If you receive residential electric or gas service through a municipal utility, contact them directly to find out more about their shut-off policy and to hear about available payment assistance programs. Why is my BGE bill so high 2021? 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 . 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. 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. 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. "It's just very difficult that the PSC wouldn't allow us to use our same tools," said Bessette. You may be able to pause mortgage payments, credit card bills, bank fees and more during the pandemic. 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. 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) Steve Gross joined MRSC as a Legal Consultant in January 2020. 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. But she learned that if you fall behind on those payment plans, it can be lights out. In the case of small businesses in disadvantaged communities, the payment cannot exceed 5 percent of the customers average monthly bill. 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. coronavirus State regulators on Tuesday extended protections against utility cutoffs for people who cant pay through April 30, 2021. Under state law, water utilities can still collect past-due bills by putting those expenses onto the property tax roll. There is no similar prohibition for sewer or storm water services. And commissioners said utility companies told them many customers had not set up plans for repayment during the moratorium. For collection of delinquent amounts by water-sewer districts, the procedures in RCW 57.08.081control. 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. CAPP will be administered by the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD). Where available, the fact sheet provides links to federal program webpages and funding allocations to state, territorial, Tribal, and local grantees. Try now to get LIHEAP funds, Dollar Energy Fund help or emergency assistance, they said. We want all Massachusetts residents to be aware of thenew and expanded programs available to assist them in paying their home heating bills. Lake Washington Sewer & Water Dist. And the amount of unpaid bills had increased 67% since 2019 to $1 billion in February. Can a power company turn off power? Please let us know how we can improve this page. 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. 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. But if you are falling behind on utilities, get help as soon as possible so you are not shut off. Editor's note: This blog has been updated to remove references tostate guidance related to the creation of COVID-19 customer support programs. April 1, 2021: Electric, gas, and water utilities submit final Emergency Utility Customer Protection Transition Plan Advice Letters to CPUC. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Steve Gross 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. 2023 www.goerie.com. Aug. 13, 2020, at 12:14 p.m. Bills to Stop Paying During Coronavirus. "When we have public health experts telling us that one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of the virus is frequent hand washing, I don't know how in good conscience and based on that public health guidance we can allow utility service to be disconnected," said Valcq.