Oct 9, 2019   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Help Is Available to Customers In Need Through New Jersey American Water’s H2O Help to Others™ Program

New Jersey American Water customers in need of assistance with their water or wastewater bill can turn to the company’s H2O Help to Others Program™ for help.

For nearly a decade, New Jersey American Water has been assisting qualified low-income water customers through this unique assistance program. H2O Help to Others Program is administered by New Jersey SHARES (NJ Shares), a nationally recognized nonprofit organization providing statewide help, guidance and referral for essential services to New Jersey residents in need of assistance.

“While water service is a tremendous value at just a penny per gallon, we understand the water bill is not the only bill our customers pay,” explained Cheryl Norton, president of New Jersey American Water. “So we are happy to offer this program to our lower income customers to assist them.”

Through H2O Help to Others Program, assistance is made available to customers in two distinct ways – through grants and/or through a discount on the service charge.

Customers can qualify for grants of up to $500 through the H2O Help to Others Program to help pay their water bill. Grants are available to qualifying customers once every three years. The awarded grant can not apply to water used for outdoor purposes, such as a sprinkler system, and can only be used towards indoor water use. Additionally, a grant from this program may not cover a recipient’s entire water bill; in some cases, the customer must pay a portion of their bill based on their income.

New Jersey American Water also offers qualified customers the opportunity to receive a 100 percent discount on their monthly fixed service charge for water through the H2O Help to Others Program. In addition to water service, these service charge discounts may also apply to wastewater customers, as well. Similarly, there is also an additional low income discount offered to customers who receive Social Security benefits or Medicare coverage – these customers who qualify for the service charge discount are also eligible to receive an additional discount off the monthly DSIC charge, based on their meter size.

To qualify for the H2O Help to Others Program, customers must first meet the following two criteria:

  • Must have annual incomes at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty guidelines
  • Must fulfill at least 50 percent of the payment terms

Customers interested in learning more about the program and its qualifications are encouraged to contact NJ SHARES, program administrator of the H2O Help to Others Program, directly via the toll-free number, 1-877-NJAWH2O (652-9426), or online at www.njshares.org. More information can also be found online at www.newjerseyamwater.com – click the “Customer Service & Billing” tab, then select “Low Income Program” from the drop down menu.

About New Jersey American Water:

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.7 million people. More information can be found at www.newjerseyamwater.com.

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. The company employs 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in 46 states. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.