Letter

Dear Customer,

With the beginning of a new year, we would like to take this opportunity to go over some of the policies of the City of Hardin.

Failure to receive bill does not excuse payment or late fee. The City is NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR MAIL DELIVERY.

Utility bills are due by the 5^th of each month. Then, penalties will be added.

There is a 10-day grace period to pay the bill with penalties added. After the 10-day grace period, on the 15^th of the month, your utilities are subject to disconnection.

Once disconnected, a reconnection fee will be added. If you have both water and gas, your reconnection fee is the total for both water and gas.

The delinquent amount plus the reconnection fees have to be paid in full before utilities will be reconnected.

There are multiple ways to pay your bill. You can pay online, through the phone portal, the drop box at city hall, in person, bank draft or auto draft.

You can pay through the phone portal by calling (270) 437-4361 and selecting option 1. You will need your account number for that option, and that information can be found on your bill.

There is a drop box at city hall for after hours payment. Please do not drop cash.

We also offer bank draft payments or auto draft payments. You can sign up for bank draft payments in the office and will need a voided check. It will be drafted on the 5^th of each month and will be reoccurring every month until you contact the office and let us know you want to unenroll. Auto draft payments are withdrawn on the 5^th of each month from a debit or credit card. This payment option is also reoccurring monthly . This option must be set up by the customer on the website:

In the office, we can accept cash, check or credit/debit card.

If you choose to use a credit/debit card in any payment option, you will be charged a service fee.

If you have a payment returned from the bank for insufficient funds, you will be charged $50.00 by the City of Hardin in addition to whatever bank fees are charged. You will have 7 days from the date of notice to pay the amount owed in full by cash or money order. If restitution is not made, services will be disconnected for non-payment and there is an additional charge to reconnect services. In addition to service disconnect, the check will be forwarded to the County Attorney’s office for collection.

The City is not responsible for gas, or water piping beyond the meter. The City is not responsible for sewer lines beyond the city’s cleanout.

Tampering fees will be applied to an account if any equipment owned by the City of Hardin is tampered with or damaged. That includes damage to any meter, cutting locks off meters, or any other such action to City of Hardin property. The fee will be per incident.

City Limit Customers that have trash pickup service provided by Hall’s Waste Management, if there is damage to the trash can(s), you will be charged a fee for tampering and an additional charged by Hall’s to replace the trash can. The cost will be per trash can.

FEES:

Reconnect fee Water- $20.00

Reconnect fee Gas- $25.00

Tampering fee- $50.00 per incident Bank returned payment- $50.00

Water Deposit- $40.00 owner, $100.00 Renter

Gas Deposit- $150.00 Owner, $275.00 Renter

Water, Sewer or Gas Tap- $1100.00 per tap

This is not a comprehensive list of policies, just a refresh on the most common questions/issues.

If you have any questions, contact city hall during business hours.

Sincerely,

Hank Rogalinski, Mayor

HARDIN MUNICIPAL UTILITIES

P.O. BOX 57

HARDIN, KENTUCKY 42048

(270) 437-4361

NOTICE

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO BILLING

PROCEDURES – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

Dear Utility Customer:

As some of you may be aware, the City of Hardin has in the past sent letters to individual customers advising them of the delinquency of their utility bills.

Unfortunately, this process has become both overly costly and time-consuming for the City. Accordingly, the Hardin City Council has voted to change this practice. Customers will no longer receive a warning letter when their utility bill has reached delinquent status. Instead, THIS NOTICE shall serve as your only warning letter regarding delinquent accounts.

Hence, beginning on July 1, 2009, once a utility bill has gone unpaid by the DUE DATE printed on the bill (which is normally the 5^th day of each month), that bill shall be deemed delinquent. If the responsible party does not request a hearing, IN WRITING AND PRIOR TO THE DUE DATE printed on the bill, or if the full amount of the bill, including any late charges/fees is not paid within ten (10) days following the due date printed on the bill, the utility service shall be DISCONNECTED. If a hearing is requested, IN WRITING and in a timely manner, the hearing shall be conducted during the regularly scheduled meeting of the Hardin City Council, which is held the second Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall.

The Hardin City Council having to make this change and is also sorry for any inconvenience this might cause. However, we can no longer justify the time and expense involved in sending out individual delinquent account notices every month. Please take careful note of these procedural changes. You will no longer receive any written notice advising you of a delinquent account. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to either pay the bill on time or to follow the procedures outlined above. If you fail to follow these procedures, your utility service will be DISCONNECTED.

Thank you very much.

May 31, 2009

HARDIN CITY COUNCIL

HARDIN MUNICIPAL UTILITIES

P.O. BOX 57

HARDIN, KENTUCKY 42048

(270) 437-4361

NOTICE

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL PROPERTY OWNERS – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY’.

Dear Property Owner:

The City of Hardin has for some time now experienced difficulty with renters and/or tenants moving from place-to-place and leaving utility bills unpaid. Regretfully, the situation has become bad enough that the City is left with no choice but to take action. Thus, beginning July 1, 2009, it shall be the policy of the City of Hardin that the actual property owner, along with the occupant, will be held responsible for the payment of any and all utility bills, late fees, service charges, etc. Upon nonpayment, the City shall have the right to disconnect the utility service and shall further have the right to refuse to restore service until all outstanding amounts on the account have been paid in full, including any reconnect fees. This will be the case regardless of whether the account is in the name of the property owner or the non-owner occupant.

 Accordingly, if you are a property owner and you rent, lease or otherwise allow other persons to reside on your property, you should be aware that both you and your tenant/occupant can and will be held responsible for the payment of any and all utility charges on your property. It is therefore advisable that you take appropriate steps to protect yourself when renting and/or leasing your property, including, but not limited to, making sure that the City has a good phone number to reach you in the event the utilities to your property are at the point of being disconnected for nonpayment.

    6-8-09   HARDIN CITY COUNCIL DATE

ONLINE

Pay your bill online by pressing the Pay Online button at the top of this page.

You can sign up for AutoPay via the customer portal. This is setting up recurring payments using your credit card or debit card.

You can also sign up for Paperless Billing. You will receive an email notice when your bill is ready to be viewed on the customer portal.

If you can’t afford to pay your home energy bills, your home may not be safe and you may be at risk of serious illness or injury.  Learn more about ACF’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

LIHEAP BROCHURE

If you can’t afford to pay your home energy bills, your home may not be safe and you may be at risk of serious illness or injury. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) may be able to help keep you and your family safe and healthy.

STAY HEALTHY IN YOUR HOME

Energy assistance is important to all that receive it, but more so if someone in your home is elderly, disabled or a young child under 6 years old. These persons are especially at risk for life threatening illness or death if their home is too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer.

BE SAFE IN YOUR HOME

You can face safety risks if you are unable to pay your home energy bills. Some people resort to unsafe methods to keep their homes warm or cool. These include the use of fireplaces, stoves, improperly vented portable heaters, barbecue grills, or overloading electrical circuits. These methods are not only fire hazards, but also create the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR HELP WITH HOME HEATING AND/OR COOLING BILLS.

WHAT IS LIHEAP?

LIHEAP is a Federally-funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills.

LIHEAP can help you stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. By doing so, you can reduce the risk of health and safety problems (such as illness, fire, or eviction).

The federal government does not provide energy assistance directly to the public. Instead, LIHEAP operates in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and the U.S. territories.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE LIHEAP ASSISTANCE?

The LIHEAP program in your community determines if your household’s income qualifies for the program. The

LIHEAP program may also require households to meet additional eligibility criteria to receive LIHEAP assistance.*

*NOTE: The availability of LIHEAP assistance is not guaranteed. Often most of the Federal LIHEAP funds are spent during the winter.

WHAT ASSISTANCE DOES LIHEAP PROVIDE?

Your LIHEAP program may be able to offer you one or more of the following types of assistance:

Bill payment assistance.

Energy crisis assistance.

Weatherization and energy-related home repairs.

WHAT INFORMATION DO I NEED TO APPLY? YOU MAY NEED THE FOLLOWING:

Recent copies of your utility bills.

A recent payroll stub or other proof that shows your current gross income.

Documentation showing income from Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, Pension Funds, disability, etc.

Final Utility Termination Notice (if you’ve received a shut-off notice from your energy company).

Proof of present address (e.g., rent receipt, lease or deed, property tax bill).

Proof of total members living in your household (e.g., birth certificates, school records, etc.).

Social Security cards (or numbers) for all persons living in your household.

Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LIHEAP AND WHERE TO APPLY

You can call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) project. NEAR is a free service providing information on where your can apply for LIHEAP. You can speak to someone at NEAR Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. (Mountain Time).

You can:

Call the toll-free phone number at: (866) 674-6327,send an e-mail to: [email protected] or you can contact your State’s LIHEAP office

This brochure is presented by:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Community Services

Division of Energy Assistance November 2009

P: (866) 674-6327

TBD [email protected]

LIHEAP Info

• Don’t over-water your lawn. Water every 3-5 days in summer and 10-14 days in winter.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks.
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine when fully loaded.
• If you have a swimming pool, use a cover and you’ll save loss from evaporation by 90%.
• When hand washing dishes, don’t leave water running; use 2 basins – one for washing and one for rinsing.
• Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or microwave instead of using running water.
• Limit your shower time to less than 15 minutes.
• Turn water off while brushing your teeth.

EVERY DROP COUNTS!