Water bill assistance in Forsyth County and Winston Salem
If circumstances prevent you from paying your water bill on time, Forsyth County may have some assistance programs available for you. Applicants will need to meet income and other conditions in order to benefit from them, and all resources are limited.
The main service available may be their Payment Extension. The City of Winston Salem and Forsyth County Utilities Division do their best to assist customers facing a crisis or some other short term hardship. The water company knows that sometimes people have difficulty in providing for their family. Many households have difficulty in paying water and/or wastewater bill. So the extension can provide them more time to get the funds that are needed to pay their bill. It can also postpone any disconnection for a short period of time.
Situations including a short term reduction in work hours, job loss, or extremely high bills caused by a concealed leak may be reasons to apply for financial aid or an extension. But it will also be short term relief, as the expense will still need to be paid over time. These resources can be grounds to request a payment extension on your account from the county.
Conditions will need to be met by all applicants. Your past payment history will be considered in granting any person seeking help an extension. If you showed consistent and timely payments in the past on your water or sewer account, you will have a better chance of being offered an extension. On the other hand, if you were not a “good” customer, then the company may not be as willing to provide assistance.
Even if you are able to enroll after this review process Forsyth County will still assess the customer with a late fee on their account. This fee is due from the customer even if an extension has been granted. This additional cost must also be paid on or before the extension date.
If you are provided assistance from the company, all extensions that are granted and that result in some form of payment arrangements must be signed by the account holder. In addition, all future water and sewer type bills must still be paid on time, outside of the arrangement.
Note that if you miss paying a bill, late charges may still be issued as a result of the Forsyth County Payment Extension. When a customer misses a payment for a bill or if the amount owed is not received by its due date, a 10 percent late charge is added to your account. In addition, a termination notice will be sent within a week or so. This is why it is so critical to call the number below and explore payment plans and extensions before you start to miss payments.
If you are issued a termination notice, the customer will still be provided about 14 days to make a payment before their service is shut off. If you still do not pay on time, a late fee is applied to your account and a disconnection will be scheduled as well.
If you service has been shut off, then a reconnection deposit may also be required. This is another reason to not fall behind, as it is an extra cost for Winston Salem households if their service has been terminated for non-payment. All outstanding water or sewer bills as well as any required reconnection fees or deposits must be paid before service is restored.
Phone number for assistance for water bills in Winston Salem area
To learn more on these payment plans or all financial assistance, call City Link at 336-727-8000. This number can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You also need to request help before your service has been disconnected. Customers should call at minimum five (5) working days before they miss a payment or the account is scheduled to be disconnected. If you do not qualify for any of these options, then request referrals to other non-profits in Forsyth County.
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