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. If you need assistance, please Contact the Attorney General's Office at (617) 727-2200. For additional FAQs about NJBPU's processes during the COVID-19 statewide response, click here. The fact sheet describes what is currently known of the program and will be updated as HHS releases more information. Customers should consider the following: Replaced outdated light bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs. 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. Can I get help paying my utilities? (Allied organizations have also submitted similar recommendations to HHS, including a letter organized by frontline advocates that NRDC also joined.). 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. If your bill lists a competitive supplier that you do not recognize, there are two possibilities. These LIHEAP funds, combined with assistance from ERAP, will significantly reduce the impact of the lifting of the moratorium, and prevent potentially hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians from facing termination, Wolf said. The heat dome of 2021 claimed the lives of 157 people in Washington State . Please visit theCSD websitefor more information. The decision also calls on utilities to document follow-up efforts with community-based organizations to make sure hard-to-reach customers can sign up for relief programs. 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. 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. Some utilities stated they have been helping customers. More than 1 million customers were eligible for termination when Wolf sent the letter a month ago. Links to the 2020 briefing decks presented to CPUC and CAL FIRE can be found on the utility websites below. Are we in violation of a law if we do not have a location that is open to the public to serve? Customers should make payments toward their utility bills if they can. So, late fees for commercial customers were also prohibited during the emergency. 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. . And commissioners said utility companies told them many customers had not set up plans for repayment during the moratorium. 2023 www.goerie.com. Customers behind on their utility bills have three more months of assurance they will not get their power shut off for non-payment after the California Public Utilities Commission passed an extension on Thursday. 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. But many utility companies have said without the threat of a shut-off notice, their bills would go unpaid. 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. Consider solar energy to reduce electricity usage. The Biden administration is pushing for more economic relief, but has not yet committed to stopping shut-offs. According toRCW 19.16.500(1)(b),utilities may also add a reasonable collections fee to the outstandingdebt. You'll receive your first NRDC action alert and An increase in your homes energy efficiency should result in lower utility bills over time. by Note that the proclamations do not prohibit imposing some kind of monetary penalty for failing to comply with the provisions of a payment plan. The electric utilities are responsible for operating their systems, including the decision to conduct a Public Safety Power Shutoff as a last resort. With clear criteria, the governing body can delegate the authority to write-off the debt to staff without further involvement from the governing body. 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. You can alsofile a consumer complaintwith the Attorney General's Consumer Advocacy and Response Division or by calling our hotline at 617-727-8400. They should also check our Assistance Programs page for information about assistance programs or use the DCAid online screening tool to apply for financial assistance from the State of New Jersey. She is borrowing electricity from down the hall to keep her food from spoiling. Ellen Nowak opposed the decision to prevent all water shutoffs during the winter months. Also ask your electric or gas utility if you qualify for an arrearage forgiveness program or any other payment assistance program. of Cty. Electricity and Gas are essential servicesthats why it is important that customers know their rights and where they can go for help if they need it. Earlier this month, the Legislature earmarked $1 billion in the upcoming 2022 state budget to help Californians pay overdue utility bills. Most significantly, for the first time ever, Congress in December 2020 and March 2021 appropriated funds specifically for low-income water and wastewater assistance a total of $1.138 billion for an emergency Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). Even without the moratorium on shutoffs, most utility companies have been generous this year. The California Public Utilities Commission also extended the power shutoff moratorium to Sept. 30, days before it was set to expire on June 30. 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. As state COVID-19 lockdown orders from Gov. A map from the National Association of Utility Regulators (NARUC) shows there are now 38 states where the moratorium on shutoffs has expired or is voluntary for utility companies. 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. Using Electronic Signatures During Emergencies, Woodward says Spokane economic recovery continues, but problems loom. 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. 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. and utilities under its jurisdiction are doing to support communities And the amount of unpaid bills had increased 67% since 2019 to $1 billion in February. Earlier this month, Gov. At least 30 days before assigningdebt, theutility must first attempt to notify the debtor of the existence of thedebtand that thedebtmay be assigned to a collection agency if not paid. Lt. Gov. The number of customers who havent paid their bills increased 14% in the last year, but the amount they owe increased 76%, according to the Energy Association of Pennsylvania. Upcoming TrainingsAttend our live webinars, virtual workshops, and in-person trainings to learn about key local government issues! In the first quarter of this year, more than 3.3 million residential customers of the states big four utilities have fallen behind on their bills: Applying SDG&Es figure to its overall residential customer total of about 1.326 million, that means 36.6 percent of SDG&E residential customers are in arrears. The proclamations did not prohibit disconnecting sewer and storm services (if practical) for non-payment. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Please limit your input to 500 characters. 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. , Follow John on Instagram @johnmataresemoney, For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com. In California and New York City alone, for example, residential water arrears total over $1.6 billion, with over 1.7 million households affected. The grace period for residential cable and internet for customers with school-aged children ended on December 31, 2021. 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. State officials recommend anyone with a shut-off notice to set up a plan now with their electric, gas or water provider. "I'm charging my cell phone in my truck when I can. If you do not qualify for a low-income program, contact your electric or gas utility to learn about deferred payment arrangements. 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. If you need help paying your utility bills or your arrears, visit the Board of Public Utilities' Assistance Programs page. 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. PSC Chair Rebecca Cameron Valcq highlighted the growing number of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin. 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. of King v. Ne. But in cities and towns all around the country in Texas, Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Illinois, and more utilities have resumed cutting off water when people cant afford to pay. Applications for LIHEAP for the 2022-2023 heating season can be submitted now and throughout the winter heating season. She said utility workers shut off her electricity over the weekend for non-payment going back several months. Automatic renewals often lead to customers paying higher rates. Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission voted 2 to 1 to ban all utility disconnections until next April. 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. MRSC offers a wide range of services to local governments and our contract partners in Washington State. Thursdays 5-0 vote extends the moratorium through the end of September for both residential and small-business customers. For more information, see Utilities and Landlord/Tenant Issues. 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). This blog is co-authored by Larry Levine (NRDC) and Olivia Wein (National Consumer Law Center). Want to know more about the team behind MRSC or contact a specific staff member? 1990)]. 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 Fields' case, her supplier put her on a payment plan so she could just pay a few dollars a month. Maybe. May 7, 2020: Free and affordable Internet access and devices are crucial for low income students as they transition to learning from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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