Utilities Kingston temporarily suspends disconnections due to non-payment

Utilities Kingston has made some changes in order to offer assistance to their customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We at Utilities Kingston recognize that this is a difficult time for our community and are letting our customers know: we’re here to support you,” Utilities Kingston said in a press release on Monday, Mar. 23, 2020. “If you are concerned about paying your bill, experiencing hardship, or have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, please call us to discuss extended bill payment options and financial assistance programs.”

In an attempt to assist customers during this difficult time, Utilities Kingston is temporarily suspended the disconnection of customers due to non-payment. The local utilities provider is also offering “flexible payment terms and arrears payment agreements for water, sewer, gas, and electricity bills. This will provide customers with more time to pay outstanding balances on their account, if needed.

During this time, Utilities Kingston will continue to issue late notices to customers who fall behind on their payments, but will not send disconnection notices or disconnect residential services until further notice.

Utilities Kingston urges customers to contact them for assistance before falling behind on payments. Customers can call the Utilities Kingston credit department at 613-546-1181 ext. 2278 any time Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Additionally, Utilities Kingston is extending the provincial-wide disconnection ban end date from April 30, 2020 to July 31, 2020 for residential and low-volume, small business customers. The utility provider suggests those struggling to pay their bills might be interested in the following programs:

• The Low Income Emergency Assistance Program (LEAP), which offers assistance to those customers facing disconnection of services.
• The Ontario Electricity Support Program, which provides ongoing assistance directly on the bills of eligible low-income electricity customers.

For application information about these programs and assistance with the, contact Kingston Community Health Centre at 613-542-2949 ext. 2143.

All customers seeking financial assistance programs, including emergency relief, can find information from Utilities Kingston here.

Utilities Kingston would like to remind customers that the Ontario Energy Board sets Time-of-Use rates, and said that they are monitoring information from the Ministry of Energy and working closely with industry partners to discuss options available to customers across the province.