Utilities, Energy & Communications · Surprise rank #377
Pay Today’s Utility Bill and Watch Old Debt Get Reduced Month by Month
Some arrears-management programs gradually forgive past-due balances when participants keep up with required current payments.
Who
Residential utility customers with past-due balances or hardship.
Where: Utility-specific statewide, including Con Edison and National Grid territories.
What to do
Start here: Call the utility’s affordability unit and ask specifically for payment agreements, EAP/EEAP and any current arrears-management program; request the terms in writing.
Eligibility: Account, income/benefit and payment-compliance rules differ by utility.
What you get
Utilities provide payment agreements, and some utility-specific arrears-management programs may reduce qualifying past-due balances under tariff rules.
Benefit: A structured repayment plan; possible conditional arrears reduction only where the customer and utility program qualify.
Possible value: Varies. Do not promise forgiveness without the exact utility’s current written terms.
Good to know
Important: Payment agreements usually repay—not erase—debt. Arrears reduction is not universal and may be lost if required current payments are missed.
Availability: Ongoing, subject to tariff and funding.
Why people miss it: Customers often negotiate a generic payment plan without asking about affordability or arrears-management enrollment.
Sources reviewed: Aug 2, 2026