Dec. 7. Charlotte Water’s Customer Care Program, which helped residents struggling to pay bills during the pandemic, expires Dec. 31.

In March 2020, Charlotte Water launched the first stage of customer care assistance which included discontinuing shutoffs for non-payment as well as the reconnection of previously disconnected customers. In addition, late fees were not charged on past due balances. At the time, Gov. Cooper issued executive orders stating that utilities were to discontinue disconnections.

Charlotte Water will still work with customers:

— No disconnects: Continuing the temporary practice of not disconnecting customers for delinquent account balances,

—No late fees: Waiving the 1.5 percent late fee on past due balances,

—Payment arrangements: Automatically placing customers with past due balances as of Sept. 30 on a 12-month, no interest payment arrangement beginning with the October 2020 bill

—Financial assistance: Using existing partnerships with Crisis Assistance Ministry, The Housing Partnership, Common Wealth Charlotte, and other organizations as models to further develop assistance programs with local non-profits.

Click here for more info. You can call 311 for assistance.

Charlotte Water strongly encourages any customers experiencing financial hardships to seek assistance with one of the four assistance programs. These programs are funded now, but the funding expires Dec. 31.