Puerto Rico’s Senate approved House Bill 133, the Payment Plans Act to Guarantee the Continuity of Essential Services, which seeks to make it easier for residential customers to pay debts for drinking water and electricity. Under the bill, payment plans would have monthly installments that do not exceed 5% of family income, letting customers negotiate agreements for their outstanding balances without committing a larger share of monthly earnings.
People who join these plans would make an initial payment equal to between 5% and 20% of the accumulated debt, with the rest spread over monthly installments under the terms of the agreement. The measure also includes provisions for small businesses, which could benefit from payment plans, mechanisms to spread extraordinary increases in their bills, and level billing alternatives.
The goal is to help households and small businesses meet their obligations and reduce the risk of having essential services cut off for nonpayment. The Senate vote is part of a series of bills related to essential services, digital security, agriculture and budget appropriations. According to El Nuevo Día, the number of customers who have asked LUMA Energy for a plan to pay their electric bill has grown this year, with requests up more than 50% between January and September.