The financial struggles continued for you and your family, and especially hit hard during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bills that piled up included those for utilities. But, during the recent months, the state of Wisconsin provided you with a respite from paying certain energy bills.
However, Wisconsin’s 5 1/2-month moratorium on disconnecting home heating-related utilities for customers unable to pay ends on April 15. For customers of utility services such as gas, water and electricity, this means having to come up with a strategy – one of which could include filing for bankruptcy.
Agree to a payment plan
Once the moratorium ends mid-month, it is important to promptly contact utility companies to establish payment plans. For some customers unable to pay their energy bills, one option may be to seek assistance from the Department of Administration’s Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program.
But customers do have another option that provides them with an “extension” on not having to pay those utility bills. That option is filing for bankruptcy. When someone files for bankruptcy in Wisconsin, this move temporarily prevents utilities from turning off his or her services.
However, “temporarily” is a keyword here. Bankruptcy filers have 20 days to give utility companies “adequate reassurance” that they will subscribe to a payment plan. If they do not, utility companies can discontinue their services.
Bankruptcy’s benefits
This is just one of many of the benefits a person gains by filing for bankruptcy. The main one is gaining a fresh financial start that allows you to wipe most debts away and regain control over money-related aspects in your life.
