Customer assistance programs

Over the last decade, customers’ water, wastewater, energy, and solid waste bills have increased significantly and consistently, outpacing the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

There are several drivers for these increases, including the need for infrastructure repair, replacement, and expansion; the lack of federal grant funding; the lack of necessary rate increases in the past; the cost of building resiliency and responding to increasingly severe weather events; and the need for investments driven by regulation.

What we do

These challenges have forced utilities to increase rates by larger amounts and more frequently, leaving many customers struggling to pay their bills and utilities wrestling with their own long-term financial sustainability.

As the focus on water affordability intensifies, utilities are looking for solutions for their customers. At the same time, they continue to provide utility services that meet customer expectations while maintaining financial sustainability.

In response to concerns about affordability, many utilities are seeking to enhance customer assistance programs, provide funding to customers to make utility bills more affordable, or build affordability measures directly into their rate structures. Reaching vulnerable customers and implementing effective programs requires a multifaceted approach.

Raftelis helps develop and implement various types of customer assistance programs tailored to meet the needs of a utility’s customers.

Customized affordability programs can be developed for a utility’s specific situation and customer base
Conservation assistance, such as water audits performed for high usage customers, fixes to fixtures and leaks, or loans to assist with repairs
Senior citizen discounts for older customers at or below a minimum income level, so they receive a discount on utility charges
Payment agreements for customers with an overdue account balance can be offered payment agreements to avoid the shutoff of services
Matching grants can provide periodic funding to low-income customers to lower debt and reduce ongoing monthly bills
Emergency assistance is a one-time assistance payment to help customers in times of financial emergencies
Debt forgiveness can conditionally forgive all or a portion of past debt based on good payment history
Affordability-friendly rate structures can enhance the utility’s affordability message through variable charges that allow customers to reduce their bills by modifying how they use the service