The city of Longmont will resume utility disconnections for non-payment beginning Monday, July 26, affecting customers who have been past due for more than 36 days. Those customers facing disconnection can still work out a payment plan with utility staff to avoid a shutoff, according to a June 25 news release.
About 3,000 customers currently have bills that are 37 days past due or longer, including some that predate the COVID-19 pandemic, the news release said.
Longmont first suspended shutoffs in March 2020 in response to the economic pressure put on families during the pandemic, city officials said. Since that time, a number of Colorado communities and utilities have resumed disconnections.
Letters to past-due customers began going out July 10.
Those who cannot pay the full balance immediately are asked to call Utility Billing at 303-651-8664 to make payment arrangements, the news release said.
“As our community steadily recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and returns to normal operations, we want to make sure that those residents who have been unable to pay their bills contact us to make arrangements,” City Manager Harold Dominguez said in a June 25 news release. “These have been extraordinary circumstances, and we want to help everyone get back to date with their bills with as little disruption as possible.”
Free energy efficiency help is also available for those trying to lower future utility bills. The city of Longmont works with Energy Outreach Colorado to offer the Colorado Affordable Residential Energy (CARE) program, which provides free home energy assessments and a number of free home energy upgrades to income-qualified residents. More information can be found on Energy Outreach's website.
