Behind on bills? How to get help as utility shutoffs resume in Charlotte amid pandemic
After months of halting service disconnections during the COVID-19 pandemic, Duke Energy will resume shutoffs for customers with unpaid balances.
October brings several changes for Charlotte residents behind on their utility bills, as service providers roll out payment plans and some warn of potential shutoffs. Disconnections will also resume this month for Piedmont Natural Gas customers who don’t make payments.
And while Charlotte Water won’t begin shutoffs for at least a year, it will automatically enroll delinquent customers in a payment plan and direct them to financial assistance.
While signs of recovery continue to appear — including news this week that North Carolina will ease some restrictions on bars, movie theaters and other businesses closed in the pandemic — the tens of thousands of Charlotte customers behind on utility bills show the financial effects of COVID-19 will be long-lasting and life-altering for many.
Service providers and area nonprofits are urging customers behind on their bills to seek financial assistance to avoid an accumulating balance and possible disconnections.
Pending Duke shutoffs
About 108,000 Duke Energy customers in North Carolina are more than 60 days behind in payments, according to the company. Customers at risk of disconnection will receive a notice with information about payment plans and financial assistance options.
“We know many are still facing significant financial challenges and we’re offering greater flexibility with our extended payment plan, making it easier for customers to catch up on their bills over time by paying only portions of the outstanding balances,” said spokeswoman Meghan Miles.
Customers who stay current on payment plans will not have their service interrupted, she said. Those with questions are encouraged to call 1-800-777-9898 or visit duke-energy.com/ExtraTime.
There’s no single deadline or date for disconnections for Charlotte customers. The timing of a disconnect due to nonpayment is dependent on each customer’s billing date.
Charlotte Water
Charlotte Water will continue its practice since March of not disconnecting service for unpaid balances and won’t impose late fees. But the department announced last week it automatically would put customers with past due balances as of the end of September on a 12-month, no interest payment plan.
More than 37,000 residential and business accounts are past due as of Aug. 30, according to the department, totaling nearly $12.6 million.
Spokeswoman Jennifer Frost said the department has established a new “customer care program” that will proactively contact customers with balances to set up payment plans and direct them to financial assistance programs. Residents are also encouraged to call 311 or visit charlottewater.org.
Help for utility bills in Charlotte
If you have a COVID-19 related income loss, illness or child care issue and earn up to 80% of the area median income ($66,800 for a family of four), the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership is distributing funds for rent, mortgage and utility payments through its rampclt.com program.
Julie Porter, president of the Housing Partnership, said it’s crucial people seek out assistance if they need it. The organization has distributed more than $178,000 to 371 households for utility payments to date.
“The biggest message is, get your application in so that we can get it through,” she said.
If you have other outstanding rent or utility bills, including those that predate April, Crisis Assistance Ministry has emergency funding available. This includes help for unpaid water bills, which do not qualify under the Housing Partnership program.
“We just want to alleviate one stressor that’s crushing people right now,” Crisis Assistance CEO Carol Hardison said.
Her organization has not seen a dramatic spike in demand, in part because various shutoff and eviction moratoriums have provided temporary relief and local leaders have tried to spend CARES dollars first, which much be spent by the end of the year.
But, when the national eviction moratorium ends Dec. 31 and federal CARES money runs out, she expects another wave.
City Council this month expected to approve spending $3.5 million in CARES funding for utility assistance, to be distributed through the Housing Partnership and SocialServe. City officials have said it could pay for up to three months of payments for 4,600 customers.
Duke Energy has also previously urged customers to seek financial aid through the state’s Crisis Intervention Program and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 6:32 AM.
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