Nearly 1,400 customers are still on COVID-19 payment plans to pay back roughly $950,000 total still owed to Owensboro Municipal Utilities, officials announced Thursday during a monthly meeting. OMU created 1,861 payment plans that totaled nearly $1.54 million that was owed to the utility.
Currently, there are 431 accounts owning a total of $102,729 eligible for disconnect — 416 of which are residential. OMU resumed their normal disconnection process for nonpayment on Dec. 3 as permitted under Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive order on Oct. 19.
General Manager Kevin Frizzell previously said accounts eligible for disconnection are “ones that have either come on since the disconnect moratorium was lifted or ones that may not be able to keep up with their COVID payment plan.”
Disconnections are prioritized based on the largest and longest unpaid balances.
While they have increased the number of disconnects to work on the backlog, Frizzell said the rate of disconnections is still lower now than period to the pandemic.
Frizzell said while customer service will continue to work with all customers to avoid disconnection, the lobby will remain closed to the public. Those needing assistance can still utilize the drive-thru window.
