If you are served by a municipal utility, it may or may not be shutting off customers for unpaid bills. You can also follow us on social media: Electric and Gas Arrearages Summary as of October, 2022 (PDF). Plus, more than half the amount owed comes from customers not enrolled in assistance programs that help defray utility bills. 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. 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. HEAP is a seasonal program. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program payments were down 40% compared to the previous year, according to PUC data. Find information on what the CPUC and utilities under its jurisdiction are doing to support communities during these challenging times. Water utilities were asked to submit any disconnection plans for review this month. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling. If you are a customer of a municipal utility, call your municipal utility immediately to ask about any assistance programs that may be available. Individual competitive suppliers (in other words, suppliers that are not part of a community choice program) often charge higher rates than your utilitys rates. But if you are falling behind on utilities, get help as soon as possible so you are not shut off. 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. It may also violate the prohibition againstdiscriminating among similarly situated ratepayers [Hous. Lake Washington Sewer & Water Dist., 784 P.2d 1284 (Wash. Ct. App. This is true even if you are behind on rent. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. Steve Gross joined MRSC as a Legal Consultant in January 2020. More than 1 million customers were eligible for termination when Wolf sent the letter a month ago. Sign up now! The electric utilities are responsible for operating their systems, including the decision to conduct a Public Safety Power Shutoff as a last resort. Boeings CEO is missing out on a $7 million bonus because the companys new large jet is behind schedule, Louisiana Gov. "I asked a neighbor if I could plug in an extension cord to my refrigerator, just to keep it cold so I don't lose my groceries," she said. For small business customers of an investor-owned utility, enrolling in a payment plan may protect your business from electric or gas shut off if you cannot afford your current balance. We will be monitoring very closely the extent to which state and federal funding efforts address the debt that consumers face, Rechtschaffen said. Details wont be finalized until the governor approves the budget and the commission will take the $1 billion payments into consideration in a later proceeding. On this webpage you will find information on what the CPUC 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. In accordance with the approved plans, utilities are communicating with customers about imminent protection expiration, providing support to customers transitioning off of customer protections, and helping customers enroll in applicable assistance programs. As Californians are sheltering at home, residential electric usage has increased 15 to 20 percent in recent weeks compared to the same period last year. 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. of King v. Ne. March 17, 2020: CPUC Ensures Essential Utility Services for Consumers to Assist in COVID-19 Mitigation. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. 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. 229; Executive Order No. She cited lower unemployment and COVID-19 infection rates, and pointed to the latest federal stimulus among the reasons the moratorium could be lifted. To learn about these payment programs, and whether they are offered by your utility, please contact your 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. March 20, 2020: The CPUC has temporarily waived the hard copy filing requirements for our Advice Letter process. 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 these unsettling and unprecedented times, many people are The AGO encourages you to contact your electric or gas utility if the recent COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted your household income because you may be newly eligible for other assistance programs. San Diego Gas & Electric residential customer bills. The program protects specific categories of customers from having their gas or electric shut off between November 15 and March 15 of each year. . The fact sheet also describes five other relevant programs: You can download the fact sheethereor view it below. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. The Proclamation 20-23 series (the proclamations) only applied to energy, telecommunications, or water services. Global travelers on Tripadvisor platform rank Coronado No. coronavirus State regulators on Tuesday extended protections against utility cutoffs for people who cant pay through April 30, 2021. ones. If you have been switched without your permission, you should file a complaint with the Department of Public Utilities. https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562021/approved/20211222a.shtml, https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/reports/covid19/Moratorium_Ending_FAQs_061421.pdf. The California Public Utilities Commission also extended the power shutoff moratorium to Sept. 30, days before it was set to expire on June 30. According toRCW 19.16.500(1)(b),utilities may also add a reasonable collections fee to the outstandingdebt. For more information, see Utilities and Landlord/Tenant Issues. You must re-apply each year and meet the qualifications to receive a HEAP benefit. update email soon. For policy examples, see our Ask MRSC Archives question: Is there a process for cities to write-off bad debt?. February 27 2023, Integrating Best Available Science: New Tools for Land Use Planning & Emergency Management For businesses, the plan ensures that the monthly payment does not exceed 10 percent of the customers average monthly bill. 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. For collection of delinquent amounts by water-sewer districts, the procedures in RCW 57.08.081control. These programs are voluntary, and you can opt out at any time. . 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. Where available, the fact sheet provides links to federal program webpages and funding allocations to state, territorial, Tribal, and local grantees. Aug. 13, 2020, at 12:14 p.m. Bills to Stop Paying During Coronavirus. June 17, 2020: The CPUC presented its COVID-19 response. Please do not include personal or contact information. This chart from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)provides more detailed household income information. 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. States should heed the same recommendations as they set up their own programs to administer LIHWAP funds. For more information about the Winter Termination Program, call 800-624-0241. May 7, 2020: The CPUC temporarily modified rates for high energy use customers to minimize the impacts of electricity bills in the summer related to the COVID-19 pandemic. FERA is open to customers whose household incomes slightly exceed those eligible for CARE. (Since interest is generally considered to be a penalty for non-payment it is probably included in "late fees.") There is no similar prohibition for sewer or storm water services. The actions are in response to customers who are unable to pay their utility bills during the COVID-19 economic crisis. Most of the assistance is provided through new, emergency programs, although some is provided through pre-existing programs. Try now to get LIHEAP funds, Dollar Energy Fund help or emergency assistance, they said. State Disclosures, Senior Attorney and Director, Urban Water Infrastructure, People & Communities Program. "You don't get medical pay period when you are a temp worker," she explained. 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. Electric and gas utility contact information is provided below: You can considercontacting Mass Savefor an energy efficiency audit. The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the earth - its people, Since it has not been referenced in any subsequent proclamations, the guidance may not have any legal effect. And commissioners said utility companies told them many customers had not set up plans for repayment during the moratorium. 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. By comparison, about 12 percent of customers had past-due balances in April 2019, amounting to $184million. The California legislature approved the California Arrearage Payment Program (CAPP) in the 2021-2022 State Budget. 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. Candy Woodall is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania Capital Bureau. Automatic renewals often lead to customers paying higher rates. 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. 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. 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. All told, some $1.33 billion in past-due bills have piled up statewide. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Governor Inslee issuedProclamation 20-23.16 on July 2, 2021, which extended the utility shutoff moratorium through September 30, 2021. We will Other CPUC Actions COVID-19 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. Final Transition Plan Advice Letters available on. However, if a customer misses more than two payments in their COVID-19 relief plan, they can be kicked out of the plan. Most states passed emergency laws banning evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic. 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. 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).

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