Can’t pay your Modesto utility bill on time? Here’s what you can do to avoid fees
Not paying a city of Modesto utility bill can still trigger late fees during the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesman said Wednesday.
Residents can request payment extensions to avoid the late fees, but Thomas Reeves said Modesto will charge delinquent customers at least $10 if they do not contact the city before the grace period ends.
The late charges will be $10 or 1.5% of a customer’s remaining balance, whichever is greater, five days after a bill is due, Reeves said in an email. Modesto’s utility billing division – which manages water, sewer, storm drain and garbage services for about 80,000 customers – will also waive late charges on a case-by-case basis, he said. No customers will lose service for missing utility bill payments during the pandemic, either, per an order by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Modesto resident Crystal Hatch warned the late fees could overburden families in these financially uncertain times. Hatch, who hasn’t worked for the past two weeks per a doctor’s orders, said she worries that some people won’t be able to catch up on the charges and will get their water shut off once the pandemic ends.
“All fees like that should really be exempt because they add up,” said Hatch, 41. “If they’re talking about until May of us getting out of it, that’s a long time from now.”
A passport agent at the post office, Hatch said she isn’t earning her usual pay because her sons are immunocompromised and she doesn’t want to risk bringing the virus back home to them. Her husband is also leaving his security guard job for the same reason, which makes it difficult to pay the bills.
As the pandemic progresses, Reeves said Modesto will periodically reassess whether to keep charging late fees on delinquent accounts. In the meantime, he encouraged customers to call the utility division at 209-577-5395 and stay on the line to request accommodations.
“At this time the customer does not need to provide any documentation of their financial situation in order to receive a payment extension, set up a payment plan, or request a review of a courtesy late charge waiver,” Reeves wrote in an email. “We understand that all of our customers have different situations. We will work with them to design a plan that works for them and their specific situation.”
Are Modesto Irrigation District, PG&E charging late fees?
Unlike the city of Modesto, the city of Turlock, Modesto Irrigation District, Turlock Irrigation District and Pacific Gas & Electric said they are not currently charging late fees.
PG&E has never charged late fees, the utility said in a news release, and is offering payment plan options for those affected financially by the pandemic. Customers can call 1-800-743-5000 and do not need to provide any proof of hardship, said Brandi Merlo, a PG&E spokesperson. Low-income households can also apply for discount programs for their energy bills, including the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) Program on the PG&E website.
Modesto Irrigation District suspended late fees indefinitely, spokeswoman Melissa Williams said, and is working with customers to make payment arrangements.
“We are recommending that customers pay what they can when they can during this time so they limit the amount of debt they’ll incur on their MID accounts,” Williams said in an email. “Our offices are currently closed to the public, but we’re open on the phone and online to help in any way we can.”
Customers can call 209-526-7337 or email customerservice@mid.org. They’re encouraged to have their account number and/or address ready or included in their email to speed up the process.
Meanwhile, the Turlock Irrigation District will not collect late fees in April, said spokeswoman Constance Anderson. The utility does not require documents to prove hardship. Customers can call 209-883-8222.
“We are allowing them to pay what they can, when they can as well as refer them to organizations that are able to offer assistance,” Anderson said in an email. “Before the district resumes disconnecting services for non-payment, we will call customers that have fallen behind on their bill and work with each of them on a payment arrangement of the past due amount.”
The city of Turlock is also waiving late fees for as long as needed, said Beth Morgan, a customer service supervisor for utility services. Multiple customers, some who have never missed a payment before, have called explaining they lost their job, she said. For help, customers can call 209-668-5570 or email finance@turlock.ca.us.
All five will not disconnect service if customers do not pay bills, per orders from the state public utility commission.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 7:28 AM.
