Raleigh area water bill assistance.
Households with unpaid water bills, or those Wake County residents that are struggling to keep up, can request a payment plan. The City of Raleigh offers this service as a form of financial assistance for income qualified families. There are numerous conditions in place, such as the customer needs to pay a portion of the water bill that is due, but the bottom line is that it is possible to get help.
If a customer has had their water or sewer service turned off, then it is too late to apply. Assistance is only available before a disconnection takes place. This will help ensure the the family or person seeking help asks for support early, before they fall too far into arrears. If the household utilities have already been shut off then the customer will need to bring their account current before the water is turned back on.
Payment plans also have costs associated with them. The City of Raleigh will charge late fees on the amount of money that is owed. The exact amount will depend on what is due as well as the prevailing interest rate at the time. While that amount can be combined into the payment plan, there will still be additional funds due.
In addition, if the Wake County North Carolina customer is enrolled into the payment plan, this is often the last step prior to having their water service turned off. This means that if any money payments are missed again in the future, such as if the household does not pay their sewer bill on time, the City will shut off the service in question. In other words the payment plans are a form of one time assistance that can help in a crisis only.
The client will need to pay the entire amount due. It is not acceptable to short pay a future water bill. They also need to be made on time. If funds are sent in a day or two later after the due date, this will also put the customer in default on their payment plan. This will then also lead to a disconnection.
The City of Raleigh also works with debt collection agencies in Wake County. The municipality will turn the account over to one of these companies when the payment plan criteria are not met. This may expose the household to collection calls or letters in the mail. This practice is the same as any other bill that a Wake County resident does not pay. Debt collection can also be used for water, sewer, property taxes, and more.
Back bills can be included into a payment plan. In rare cases there may be up to 36 months worth of charges made on an account. If and when this occurs, those costs can be blended by the applicant into a program with the city.
While the dollar amount owed may be higher (as it covers a longer time frame), the payment plan will still need to be adhered too. The same terms and conditions as indicated above will be in place. Whether the back bill was for sewer or water it will not matter to the City of Raleigh.
Contact information for water bill payment plans or financial help
To learn more, or to apply for help, dial 919-996-3245. Even if the City of Raleigh customer applies, and is not found to be eligible, for a payment plan, the company will try to provide referrals. As there are non-profits in Wake County that may also be able to provide grant based financial aid for paying water bills.
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