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. She said utility workers shut off her electricity over the weekend for non-payment going back several months. SDG&E spokeswoman Sara Prince said the utility supports the CPUCs moves. 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%. The AGO issued a 2018reportand2019 update,and2021 updatethat found that Massachusetts customers typically lost money on competitive electric supply. More than 1 million customers were eligible for termination when Wolf sent the letter a month ago. But Dutrieuille and the commission approved a motion that will allow customers to stretch out payment plans and keep on their services. Eligible government agencies can use our free one-on-one inquiry service. HARRISBURGThe moratorium on utility shutoffs expires at the end of the month, leaving more than 1 million Pennsylvania households at risk of losing their electricity, gas, water and telephone service. If you need help paying your utility bills or your arrears, visit the Board of Public Utilities' Assistance Programs page. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. For county-owned utilities, RCW 36.94.150 authorizes a lien for sewerage and water. But she learned that if you fall behind on those payment plans, it can be lights out. of King v. Ne. Water Utilities Will Not Be Able To Disconnect Service After PSC Vote. Call your electric or gas utility immediately to enroll. Sign up today for a digital subscription. If one of these suppliers is on your bill, it is possible that one of these companies switched your electricity supply without your permission. John Fetterman, a progressive who is running for U.S. Senate in 2022, said utility companies should be cooperative and understanding with Pennsylvanians in need. But if you are falling behind on utilities, get help as soon as possible so you are not shut off. 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). Earlier this year, the commission reported that statewide enrollment in CARE has increased 13.6 percent and FERA enrollment shot up 45 percent. We will use this information to improve this page. A federal program can help. Medical Information from healthcare professionals on symptoms, when to seek medical attention, and proper steps to take if exposed to COVID-19. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. Those enrolled in certain other programs (including Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, USF, and Lifeline) are protected by the Winter Termination Program. (Getty Images) Paying . 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. The extension of the moratorium on shutoffs has been met with frustration by some, including Jason Bessette, general manager of New London Utilities. 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. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Most states passed emergency laws banning evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic. 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. Maybe. 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. Also ask your electric or gas utility if you qualify for an arrearage forgiveness program or any other payment assistance program. Inflation and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine are driving up fossil fuel prices and in turn energy rates for customers across the country this winter. BGE Customers With Disconnected Service Can Get Service Restored During COVID-19 Pandemic. 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. 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. April 1, 2021: Electric, gas, and water utilities submit final Emergency Utility Customer Protection Transition Plan Advice Letters to CPUC. Can it be done by appointment? 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. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. Utility Late Fee/Shutoff Moratorium Expires September 30: Now What. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and (Since interest is generally considered to be a penalty for non-payment it is probably included in late fees.). The actions are in response to customers who are unable to pay their utility bills during the COVID-19 economic crisis. September 7, 2021 The update also adds a link to the Washington State Department of Healths Customer Assistance Program. The commission, known as the CPUC for short, extended the moratorium earlier this year but it was set to run out June 30. And commissioners said utility companies told them many customers had not set up plans for repayment during the moratorium. 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. Lake Washington Sewer & Water Dist., 784 P.2d 1284 (Wash. Ct. App. 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. Customers should consider the following: Replaced outdated light bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs. KIRO 7 News Seattle facebook feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle twitter feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle youtube feed(Opens a new window), Powerball jackpot winner identified as longtime Boeing employee, Multiple western Washington residents indicted in connection to coast-to-coast drug ring, Seattle firefighters battle massive Lake City building fire for hours, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies after brain aneurysm at 61, Thieves lose ATM ripped out of Lakewood credit union. San Francisco, CA 94102, Utility Business Continuity Plans and PSPS Preparation, CPUC Mobilizes Community Based Organizations for Pilot Program To Help Consumers With Utility Debt, CPUC Executive Director Letter Concerning Extension of Moratorium on Disconnection for Non-Payment and Fees for Late Payment for Voice Service Through February 15, 2022, CPUC Acts To Ensure Essential Utility Services for Consumers at Risk of Disconnections, CPUC Actions to Protect Customers During the COVID-19 Pandemic; Utility Disconnection Moratoria and Arrearage Management - Presentation at CPUC Voting Meeting, CPUC Executive Director Letter Extending Moratorium on Disconnection for Non-Payment and Fees for Late Payment for Voice Service through September 30, 2021, CPUC Provides Relief for Customers Who Have Energy Bill Debt, https://liob.cpuc.ca.gov/m-4849-utility-transition-plans/, Executive Director Letter to IOUs on Direction to Conduct Customer Data Validation for Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Executive Director Letter Extending Moratorium on Disconnection for Non-Payment and Fees for Late Payment for Voice Service (Resolution M-4848) Through July 15, 2021, CPUC Extends Emergency Utility Customer Protections and Takes Further Action To Address Energy Arrearages During COVID-19, California Cable & Telecommunications Association, CPUC Implements Consumer Protections to Assist Residential and Small Business Customers, Workshop on COVID-19 Impacts on Customers in the Energy Sector, President Batjer Letter to AT&T regarding Legacy DSL Services Retirement, CPUC Letter to ISPs re: Affordable Broadband Plan Subscription Information, Remarks on COVID-19 Actions from Energy Division Deputy Executive Director, CPUC Letter to Program Administrators on Guidance on Energy Efficiency and Energy Savings Assistance Program Suspensions, CPUC Issues Proposal for Additional Customer Protections Due to Non-Payment, CPUC Letter to ISPs on Affordable Broadband Plans to Support Customers Affected by the COVID-19 State of Emergency. These pages cover more specific details that depend on the type of utility, and its critical that you use the right tools for your specific type of jurisdiction and type of utility. 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. That guidance was incorporated into Proclamation 20-23.6 to help utilities create their own programs. Individual competitive suppliers (in other words, suppliers that are not part of a community choice program) often charge higher rates than your utilitys rates. 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. Have a problem?Send me an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or message me on Facebook. 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. 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. MRSC offers a wide range of services to local governments and our contract partners in Washington State. You may be eligible for assistance now, even if you have not been eligible in the past. All rights reserved. 229; Executive Order No. March 1 2023, Changes for 2022 Annual Reporting for Cash Basis Entities 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 |. At all other times, if you are experiencing financial hardshipandone of the following applies, your electric or gas cannot be shut off without permission from the Department of Public Utilities: In addition, payment plans are available to avoid shut off and manage utility bills. Are we in violation of a law if we do not have a location that is open to the public to serve? Gov. Customers with higher income levels will be offered payment plans of at least one or two years. 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. *Note:This combined total for New York City and California is likely a conservative estimate. 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. Share this webpage and the flyer below with your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors to spread the word. Please see below for contact numbers for each investor-owned electric and gas utility. 2023 www.goerie.com. The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to end the moratorium. Please limit your input to 500 characters. With expanded income eligibility for some programs, more New Jerseyans are now eligible for utility assistance. CAPP dedicates $1 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to address Californian's energy debts. 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. San Diego International Airport received the $20 million grant as part of the governments Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 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. Since it has not been referenced in any subsequent proclamations, the guidance may not have any legal effect. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Thursdays 5-0 vote extends the moratorium through the end of September for both residential and small-business customers. Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps"). States should heed the same recommendations as they set up their own programs to administer LIHWAP funds. "I didn't have the $300 they needed," she said. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. 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. 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). 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. its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. 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. Energy utilities will apply for CAPP assistance on behalf of customers who incurred a past due balance of 60 days or more on their energy bill during the COVID-19 pandemic relief period covering March 4, 2020 through June 15, 2021. The number of people affected is alarming, according to a letter sent to the commission from Gov. Plus, more than half the amount owed comes from customers not enrolled in assistance programs that help defray utility bills. To be eligible for your electric or gas utilitys low-income discount rate program or the arrearage management program (AMP), you must either qualify for LIHEAP funding, or receive food, cash, or medical benefits from the state. Eligible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one-on-one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions. Sign up now! But the vaccines are still in a race against time, with COVID-19 again resurging in many states. Henry McMaster urged the companies in a . 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). Murphy was set to sign an executive order Monday that ends the 15-month moratorium on utility shut-offs on July 1, but creates a grace period through Dec. 31 for residents to sign up for a. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling.