Utility disconnections to restart in January as delinquencies hit $1.6 million

Stafford County leaders want to give residents more time before a moratorium on utility disconnections ends.

While the moratorium was lifted in August, the county has discussed waiting until January 2022 before shutting off utilities for delinquent payments. Governor Ralph Northam had placed the moratorium in March 2020 to provide relief for Virginia residents who had experienced financial hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic, as many were furloughed for fired from their jobs.

The county's Utilities Department plans to notify residents of the moratorium's end later in September, giving those with delinquent accounts a four-month head start to get things in order.

During the disconnection moratorium, the number of delinquent accounts had risen by 11 percent to a total of 9,474 while the amount of money due to those delinquencies rose by 40 percent to $1.6 million. The county provided almost $500,000 in relief funds to customers through the COVID-19 Municipal Utilities Relief Program.

Northam had declared a state of emergency due to the pandemic in March 2020 which led to the moratorium. 

The Virginia General Assembly recently adopted House Bill 7001, in order to appropriate $120 million from the latest round of federal funds from President Biden's American Rescue Plan. Funds from this cut will be used to provide direct assistance to residents who are 60 days behind on their utility payments.

The Stafford County Utilities Department plans to apply for all the grant and assistance opportunities that they are eligible for. The funds will be awarded based on the total of accounts that are 60 days behind on their utility payments.