Behind on your utility bill?

For city residents, there is help.

The Richmond Department of Public Utilities is accepting applications from customers to pay off the backlog.

The assistance is coming from DPU’s share of $60 million that Gov. Ralph S. Northam allocated from the federal CARES Act to aid municipal utilities and their customers.

According to DPU, the program allows for a one-time payment per household or business that applies by mail or online by Sunday, Jan. 17.

Qualifying applicants must be behind on city utility bills because of job loss or other hardship caused by the pandemic and have not previously received DPU assistance this year with utility bills, DPU stated. The program applies to past due bills from March 1 to Dec. 30.

Applications are available online at www.rva.gov/publicutilities. Application forms also are available at City Hall in Downtown, the East District Center at 701 N. 25th St. in Church Hill and the Southside Community Services Center at 4100 Hull Street Road in South Side, the department stated, or by calling customer assistance at (804) 646-4646.

“This assistance is in addition to the suspension of disconnections that began in early March and remains in effect,” DPU Director Calvin Farr stated.

The revamped state budget approved in November also includes language barring all utilities from disconnecting service until 60 days after the state of emergency is lifted unless the losses from customers’ failure to pay creates financial instability. That language applies to electric service, as well as water, sewer and natural gas service.

Still, the new program aims to assist by allowing customers to pay off a backlog of utility debt so that would be behind them once the moratorium on disconnections is lifted.