City Of Vancouver Utility Urges Customers With Overdue Bills To Call Before Statewide Shutoff Moratorium Ends (Photo) -09/27/21
Vancouver, Wash. – City of Vancouver utility customers who have fallen behind on their water or sewer bills are urged to reach out for help with payment plans or assistance now, before a statewide moratorium on disconnections for overdue bills ends on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021.
Vancouver Utility customers who are behind on their bills can avoid disconnection and keep water on by working with customer service representatives to set up individualized payment arrangements and get back on track. Customers may also be eligible for help through the Utility’s Help to Others (H2O) assistance program. Criteria for that program has been temporarily expanded in response to the pandemic.
For help, contact City of Vancouver Utility Services by calling 360-487-7999 or emailing UtilitiesCS@cityofvancouver.us.
Hours for Utility Customer Services are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday. More information is available through the City of Vancouver Utility webpage at www.cityofvancouver.us/AtYourService.
Although Washington’s temporary ban on evictions for unpaid rent has recently been extended, the state’s moratorium on utility shutoffs has not been extended. Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency order that temporarily halted disconnections for overdue utility bills is set to expire Thursday, Sept. 30. Across the state, normal utility business practices are set to resume on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.
Washington’s utility moratorium has been in place since April 2020, when the governor temporarily halted disconnections for overdue utility bills as part of the statewide response to COVID-19 impacts. Under the statewide COVID-19 emergency order, the city has continued to keep utility water services on, waive late fees, and work with customers to provide deferred payment plans. Charges for water and other services used were not waived. Customers remain responsible for utility services used by their households throughout this time.
