$20 Million Water Assistance Relief Program to Help Maryland Residents With Covid-Related Debt
If you live in Maryland and are dealing with water bill debt, support is on the way. Governor Larry Hogan announced a $20 million Water Assistance Relief Program that will help residents with water bill debt related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Hogan says the state continues to provide ways—especially during the winter months—to help residents who may have difficulty with their water or heating bills. He adds that water systems are encouraged to apply for this funding to ensure savings for customers in the coming months. The application period for water systems to apply for funding will begin next Monday, January 2, 2023, and will remain open until Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
Additional Information from the Governor’s Office:
As a condition of receiving program funding, water systems must agree to allocate payments as bill credits to customer accounts within a specific number of days after receiving payment, and waive late fees and interest penalties. The credits will cover outstanding water debt from residential customers that was accrued between January 2020 and September 2022.
In addition, programs are available year-round through the Maryland Department of Human Services’ Office of Home Energy Programs to help with utility bills and prevent any loss of service, including the Maryland Energy Assistance Program, the Electric Universal Service Program, and the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program.
The funding for this program will be allocated from federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF.)
