New income and household size verification requirements in place
MECHANICSBURG, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$AWK #H2OHelptoOthers–The average customer enrolled in Pennsylvania American Water’s H2O Help to Others customer assistance Bill Discount Program saves between $17.66 and $64.99 on their water bill and/or $40.53 to $93.12 on their wastewater bill each month*, a utility savings welcomed by more than 30,000 program participants statewide, particularly amidst currently rising costs and significant inflation. That’s why the company is urging participating customers to comply with income verification requirements to maintain their program eligibility and enrollment. *Average savings based on four income-based assistance tiers.
“The Bill Discount Program is an important component of our recently expanded H2O Help to Others customer assistance offerings. Throughout 2024, we provided bill discounts totaling $14 million to approximately 34,300 enrolled customer accounts,” explained Tawana Dean, the company’s senior manager of customer compliance. “This assistance is one of the ways We Keep Life Flowing for our customers facing financial difficulty. We want to make sure that the benefit stays in place for those who need it. But we need them to act now!”
With new requirements, Pennsylvania American Water must now verify participating customers’ incomes and household size to ensure they meet and maintain program eligibility. Of the customers currently enrolled in the program, approximately 20,200 still need to provide income and household verification. If customers fail to verify these details, they risk being removed from the program and losing the monthly discount.
Over the past several months, Pennsylvania American Water has taken action to proactively notify those customers who still need to provide income verification by direct mail and email and bill messaging. The company also made more than 18,000 calls to potentially impacted customers in late 2024. When notified by the company – a process taking place on a staggered basis – customers have 10 days to respond before being removed from the bill discount program.
To provide income and household size verification and continue participation in Pennsylvania American Water’s Bill Discount Program, customers should contact Dollar Energy Fund, the H20 Helo to Others program administrator, by visiting http://www.DollarEnergy.org/MyApp or by calling 888-282-6816.
The Bill Discount Program saves many customers hundreds of dollars each year by offering those with household incomes up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines (FPIG) a 30-90% discount on service fees and a 20-80% discount on volumetric charges for water customers and a 37-85% discount on total charges for wastewater customers each month.
“We encourage our customers to learn more about our H2O Help to Others Program and take advantage of its offerings by visiting pennsylvaniaamwater.com/H2O,” Dean added. “In addition to monthly bill discounts, we offer annual grants, water-saving devices and education and an Arrearage Management Program for income-eligible customers. Our customers can also take advantage of budget billing and installment plans and preferred due date selection to help manage their bills.”
Pennsylvania American Water customers who would like to lend a hand to others in need can contribute to H2O Help to Others by adding a donation to their monthly water and/or wastewater bill. Since the company assumes all administrative costs, 100 percent of donations, as well as the company’s matching funds, go directly to qualifying customers.
About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.
For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.
About Pennsylvania American Water
Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.3 million people.
Contacts
Media Contact:
David Misner
Senior Manager, External Communications
717-262-7525
