Paying your monthly water bill on time is important to avoid late fees and potential service disruptions. But life happens and you may find yourself scrambling to pay your bill after the due date. How late can you pay before facing consequences? Here’s what you need to know.
Check Your Water Company’s Grace Period
Most water utilities offer a grace period before applying late fees or shutting off service This gives customers some wiggle room if the due date is missed
For example, the grace period may be:
- 5-7 days after the due date
- 10-15 days after the due date
- By the end of the month
Check your water company’s website or contact customer service to find out their specific grace period policy. This will tell you how late you can pay before late fees kick in.
Expect Late Fees After the Grace Period
Once the grace period ends, you’ll typically owe a late fee if your balance remains unpaid. Late fees are usually a percentage of your bill.
Some common late fee amounts are:
- 5% of the unpaid balance
- 10% of the unpaid balance
- A flat $5-$10 fee
So if your bill is $50 and the late fee is 10%, you’ll owe $55 if you pay after the grace period.
Late fees apply each month until the overdue balance is paid in full. The fees can add up quickly, so don’t make late payments a habit.
Eventual Service Shutoff for Nonpayment
If your water bill remains unpaid after the grace period and any late fees accrue, your service may eventually get shut off. This is generally a last resort after multiple late notices.
Here’s a typical shutoff timeline after the bill is due:
- 10-15 days: Reminder notice sent
- 25-30 days: Shutoff warning notice sent
- 45-60 days: Potential shutoff date scheduled
- 60-90 days: Water service disconnected
Actual shutoff timelines vary. Check your utility’s policies so you know how long you have to pay before disconnection.
Reconnection Fees Apply After Shutoff
Once your water gets shut off for nonpayment, there are usually fees to restore service:
- Disconnection fee – $25-$100
- Reconnection fee – $50-$150
- Security deposit – Up to 2x average monthly bill
Reconnection also may require payment of the full past-due amount or setting up a payment plan. Overall, it’s best to avoid a shutoff to prevent these extra costs.
Options for Late Payment
If you missed the due date, take advantage of any options to pay late without penalty:
-
Online/phone payments – Pay online or by phone up until the shutoff date to avoid a trip to the office.
-
Payment arrangements – Contact the utility to set up a payment plan spreading repayment over several months.
-
Payment extensions – Request a few extra days to pay if you explain your situation.
-
Partial payment – Pay what you can by the due date, then follow up with the balance.
As long as you pay before the final shutoff, you can avoid disruption of your water service. But repeated late payments will still result in fees.
Communicate With Your Water Company
If you anticipate having trouble paying on time, get ahead of it by contacting customer service before the bill is due. They can explain late fee policies and discuss options to avoid penalties.
The key is keeping the lines of communication open so you don’t end up unexpectedly past due. That gives you the best chance to pay late with minimal consequences when unavoidable situations arise.
Administrative Fee & Late Penalty
Why is there a $50 fee on my bill?
The $50 administrative processing fee is added when a bill is not paid within 18 days after its due date. The fee is for the cost of managing the delinquency process for past-due accounts.
Is this a cut-off fee? If so, why am I being charged the fee but my water is still on?
The administrative fee applies to all bills that are subject to water service cut-off, but it is not a “cut-off fee.” The fee is for the cost of managing the entire delinquency process, not just the service cut-off phase.
Will I be charged additional fees to restore my water service after I am cut-off and have paid my balance in-full?
There is no fee to reconnect water service.
Why is the City charging an administrative fee?
The administrative fee is designed to defray the cost of managing delinquent accounts—which includes the staff time and resources required to monitor delinquent accounts, as well as the cost for crews to manage service cut-offs and restorations.
It would be unfair to ask customers who pay on time to also pay for the cost of managing delinquent accounts, so the City has targeted penalties and fees which only apply to past due bills.
My bill is due soon and I can’t pay the full amount. Can I avoid the administrative fee and late penalty?
The $50 administrative fee can be avoided by entering into a payment arrangement before the initial due date on the bill. Late penalties will continue to be charged to any account with a delinquent balance, until the past-due balance is paid in full.
Where Can I Pay My Water Bill? – CountyOffice.org
FAQ
What happens if you pay utilities late?
Does paying water bill late affect credit?
What happens if I don’t pay my water bill in California?
Can you pay your bills late?
Will My Water Company turn off if I miss a payment?
As with other utilities, your water company normally won’t turn off your water the day after you miss a bill payment due date. Rather, you can likely miss two to three months of payment without losing service. That’s because many utility companies offer a two- to three-month grace period or even longer.
Can I get help paying my water bill?
Most utility companies offer assistance in paying for water bills. Payment options are available if you get behind on utility payments, and depending on your income, you may even be eligible to get help on each month’s water bills. The only way to learn if you’re eligible is to ask though, so don’t wait to get behind on your water bill.
What happens if I don’t pay my water bill?
Non-payment of your water bill is a big deal. You may get stuck with a late payment fee or sent to a collection agency, which can go on your credit report and hurt your credit score. So contacting your water company before it comes to this can help avoid it altogether.
Do you have a hard time paying your water bills?
You may be surprised to learn that nearly 12 percent of Americans have a hard time making on-time payments of their water bills, according to 2017 research. Researchers also hypothesized that the number of people with past due water bills could triple by 2022.
What happens if I miss a water bill?
Rather, you can likely miss two to three months of payment without losing service. That’s because many utility companies offer a two- to three-month grace period or even longer. If you miss a water payment, you will likely receive a notice in the mail of the date by which you must have your bill paid or have your water turned off.
Why should I pay my water and sewer bill?
Your water and sewer bill payments make it possible for us to keep the work going. Your continued payments make all the difference. Thanks to you, we can keep making critical improvements to upgrade our 100-year-old systems for all of us. Let’s continue to be that difference. If you need help paying your bill, we’re here to help.