Limited-Time Opportunity Helps Customers Eliminate Delinquent Balances and Avoid Service Disruption

RICHMOND, Va. — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is launching Back on Track with DPU, a limited-time utility reset program designed to help residential and commercial customers resolve past-due utility balances, avoid service disruption and move forward with manageable payment options.

The Back on Track program provides eligible customers with a final opportunity to bring delinquent accounts current or enroll in an interest-free, no-convenience-fee PromisePay payment plan, with repayment terms of up to 24 months.

“Back on Track is an important campaign to help maintain and strengthen DPU’s financial health and long-term stability, both key factors in ensuring our ability to meet the needs of our customers and keep rates affordable. This campaign strikes a balance between fiscal responsibility and compassion for our community by offering customers a meaningful opportunity to resolve past-due utility balances,” said Scott Morris, director of the Department of Public Utilities.

Program Purpose

Back on Track with DPU is designed to:

• Help customers reduce delinquent utility balances through a limited-time reset opportunity, with extend payment plan terms
• Recover outstanding revenue to maintain financial resiliency and support continued investment in the City’s utility systems
• Reduce long-term delinquency and prevent service disruptions through proactive communication and flexible payment options

Program Details

Eligible customers may:

• Bring existing PromisePay payment plans current and renegotiate outstanding balances, or
• Enroll for the first time in an interest-free, no convenience fee PromisePay payment plan

Repayment terms are available for up to 24 months, depending on eligibility.

Eligibility and Payment Options

Both residential and commercial customers with delinquent utility accounts are eligible, regardless of prior or current enrollment in payment plans.

Residential customers may enroll in a PromisePay payment plan with a 10% down payment, with repayment terms of up to 24 months, depending on account balance.

Commercial customers may enroll with a 20% down payment, with repayment terms of up to 24 months, depending on account balance. 

Expanded MetroCare Assistance Program

As part of the Back on Track campaign, DPU has expanded its MetroCare Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance to qualified low-income households to help make water, wastewater and natural gas bills more affordable.

Eligible residential customers may receive:

• Up to $500 in credits toward water and wastewater bills
• Up to $500 in credits toward natural gas bills
• A Payment Plan Incentive Credit of up to $500 for customers who enroll in and successfully complete a DPU payment plan

The Payment Plan Incentive Credit is applied when a customer enrolls in a payment plan and is maintained only if all payments are made on time. If a payment becomes more than 30 days past due, the credit will be removed and added back to the account balance. This incentive is available once per fiscal year, when funding is available. MetroCare assistance is available to qualifying residential households with incomes at or below 225% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Enrollment Period, How to Enroll and Service Disconnections

Customers must enroll in Back on Track with DPU between now and March 31 to bring past-due balances into a new payment plan. After March 31, payment plans will be limited to a maximum of 12 months.

Customers can enroll by visiting richmond.promise-pay.com or by calling PromisePay at 1-804-626-5420 for assistance with setting up a payment plan.

Accounts that remain delinquent after April 1 will be subject to service disconnection, with disconnections beginning in April. 

Customers are encouraged to act promptly, as this is a final opportunity to take advantage of extended repayment terms and waived fees.

Customer Assistance Events

To make it easier to enroll, DPU will host community events across the city where customers can get one-on-one help with checking eligibility and signing up for a payment plan. The event dates and locations are as follows:

Southside Community Services Center        February 7        9a.m. – 1p.m.

East District Initiative                                  February 21     9a.m. – 1p.m.

John Marshall High School                           March 21          9a.m. – 1p.m.

For more information, visit rva.gov/public-utilities/backontrack or call 804-646-4646.