If you are able, you should pay your utility bills as they come due. No, this does not mean you do not have to pay. What if I can still afford my utility bills? Does this mean I don’t have to pay? You should contact 2-1-1 in your area to find out about any payment assistance programs to help with the amount owed. Your utility provider must offer you a deferred payment agreement with no money down, no late fees, and no interest. No, this shutoff protection is only a grace period to allow you more time to pay your bill. Just because you are behind in payments does not mean you are automatically protected - you must contact the utility company directly. You will have to self-certify with the utility provider that you had a change in financial circumstances or loss of income due to COVID-19.
You, the customer, must contact the utility company directly and ask for shutoff protection. How do I protect my utilities from being shutoff? What utilities are protected from shutoff?Įlectric, natural gas, steam, landline telephones, internet, and both public and private water services. Similarly, many private water service providers have also ceased service disconnections because of customers’ inability to pay. Per Governor Cuomo’s Madirective, all energy and water utilities operating under the state’s authority have been ordered to halt terminations of service for both commercial and residential customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.Īs a result, major energy utility providers including NYSEG, RG&E, and National Grid have suspended terminations of service to customers for matters arising from inability to pay. There are some additional protections against water shutoffs through June 2022. New York State has taken steps to ensure that any customers affected by COVID-19 will not lose certain utilities due to financial hardship through December 22, 2021. What happens if I can’t afford my utility bills right now? To view this article in Spanish, visit here.