St. Pete will resume city's utility non-payment fees and shutoff policies

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - For residents living in the city of St. Petersburg, officials will begin penalizing people for late payments.

Non-payment feeds and shutoffs were suspended since March due to COVID-19, but the grace period is over. People who haven't paid their utility bills will face those late feeds starting Monday, July 20.

On Friday, the city will begin sending out termination notices. If residents haven't paid by August 3, city officials said their service will be shut off. 

For those who cannot pay their bills, city officials say there are a few options. This includes an extended payment arrangement, which allows customers to pay their current monthly bill, along with a series of six monthly installments on a delinquent balance. 

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For details on the extended payment arrangements, call the Utility Customer Service Call Center at 727-893-7341. The center is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Emails can also be sent to utility.bill@stpete.org.

Grants are also available for eligible homeowners who are unemployed or underemployed because of the pandemic. For more information, head to stpete.org/MortgageAssistance.

For renters, the city has partnered with a few non-profit organizations to offer assistance.  Information can be found at stpete.org/RentAssistance.