For more information, visit:https://www.dhs.pa.gov/coronavirus/Pages/Emergency-Rental-Assistance-Program.aspx, More:Fully vaccinated Pennsylvanians can gather without masks, but only in these situations, More:COVID-19 vaccine motivation: Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts for showing vaccination card. coronavirus State regulators on Tuesday extended protections against utility cutoffs for people who cant pay through April 30, 2021. "I just want some time to get my money," she said. The utility reported to the commission that 495 out of its roughly 3,000 customers would be eligible for disconnection. 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. As state COVID-19 lockdown orders from Gov. BGE Customers With Disconnected Service Can Get Service Restored During COVID-19 Pandemic. 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. For more information on community choice electric plans, also known as municipal aggregations, visit this website maintained by the Department of Public Utilities here. 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. If you have been switched without your permission, you should file a complaint with the Department of Public Utilities. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and So, late fees for commercial customers were also prohibited during the emergency. The commission, known as the CPUC for short, extended the moratorium earlier this year but it was set to run out June 30. coronavirus State regulators on Tuesday extended protections against utility cutoffs for people who can't pay through April 30, 2021. Aug. 13, 2020, at 12:14 p.m. Bills to Stop Paying During Coronavirus. If you are struggling to pay your electric or gas utility bills, reach out to your utility to discuss available payment plans, arrearage forgiveness programs and other payment assistance programs. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. For more information about which programs you may be eligible for, use DCA's screening tool. 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. update email soon. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. 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. 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. The more you pay now the less you will have to make up later. 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. Customers should make payments toward their utility bills if they can. 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). Hous. Don't fall behind on your bills or you may find yourself in the dark.__________________________. It appears that sewer and storm utilities are not prohibited from charging late fees and interest (depending on the utilitys rate schedule) for any past-due amounts. We will be monitoring very closely the extent to which state and federal funding efforts address the debt that consumers face, Rechtschaffen said. One possibility is that you are participating in your city or towns community choice electric plan. ones. If your household income is 60% or less of the state median income, you are eligible for LIHEAP. 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. 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. Share this webpage and the flyer below with your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors to spread the word. Have a problem?Send me an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or message me on Facebook. 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. Please do not include personal or contact information. Information on testing, vaccines, and help finding appointments near you. The program protects specific categories of customers from having their gas or electric shut off between November 15 and March 15 of each year. Can a power company turn off power? In these unsettling and unprecedented times, many people are SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order that will restrict water shutoffs to homes and small businesses while the state responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision means that utilities will not be able to shut off water, power or heat during the winter months. Utilities also offer another way to stay on top of your bills called budget billing. This chart from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)provides more detailed household income information. Category: Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. COVID-19 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. 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. March 20, 2020: The CPUC has temporarily waived the hard copy filing requirements for our Advice Letter process. 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. Not only did many customers with overdue bills not set up payment plans with their utility companies, they also did not seek much help in coming up with the money. Last month, Ayanna McClure learned how quickly landlords were filing eviction notices when the moratoriums expired. June 17, 2020: The CPUC presented its COVID-19 response. By February 25, 2021, IOUs shall submit drafts of Transition Plan Advice Letters to CPUC staff (, Jan. 22, 2021: Comments on Draft Resolution M-4849. 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. 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. You can also follow us on social media: Electric and Gas Arrearages Summary as of October, 2022 (PDF). 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. State officials recommend anyone with a shut-off notice to set up a plan now with their electric, gas or water provider. Tony Evers invested $15 million in CARES Act funding to the state's Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program in order to help residents pay their heating bills. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, https://www.dhs.pa.gov/coronavirus/Pages/Emergency-Rental-Assistance-Program.aspx, Fully vaccinated Pennsylvanians can gather without masks, but only in these situations, COVID-19 vaccine motivation: Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts for showing vaccination card, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. One water system has already said that it will resume shutoffs the next day. 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. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. 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. We will use this information to improve this page. 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. 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. 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. Earlier this month, the Legislature earmarked $1 billion in the upcoming 2022 state budget to help Californians pay overdue utility bills. "It's just very difficult that the PSC wouldn't allow us to use our same tools," said Bessette. Steve Gross We want all Massachusetts residents to be aware of thenew and expanded programs available to assist them in paying their home heating bills. 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. VIDEO: State regulators considering banning all electricity cutoffs for non-payment until next April. For collection of delinquent amounts by water-sewer districts, the procedures in RCW 57.08.081control. April 1, 2021: Electric, gas, and water utilities submit final Emergency Utility Customer Protection Transition Plan Advice Letters to CPUC. 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. 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. 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. Please see below for contact numbers for each investor-owned electric and gas utility. 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. 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. Digging Into Public Works In-person regional forums and training resources for public works staff and local contractors. However, the California data do not include arrears for customers of wastewater-only utilities. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling COVID-19 are running out of options. 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. South Carolina utilities will stop cutting service to customers with unpaid bills during the novel coronavirus pandemic. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 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). Visitwww.mass211.orgor dial 211 to find your local agency. 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. In the past MRSC has written that a utility is required to collect a past-due amount and that failing to do so may violate Article VIII section 7of the state constitution, which prohibits a government agency from gifting public funds. 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. Suggestions are presented as an open option list only when they are available. Massachusetts consumers should also take steps to avoid an automatic renewal of their supply contract. NEW! Utility Collection Deferrals, Shutoffs, and Payment Plans. HEAP is a seasonal program. 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. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. For FAQs on the end of the moratorium and the six-month grace period, click here. But tens of millions of people are continuing to accumulate tens of billions of dollars of overdue utility bills. Valcq pointed out that similar assistance programs do not exist for water customers. 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.
