By Cassie McClure and Suzanne Michaels
Published in the Las Cruces Bulletin 4/24/20
Customers who are struggling to pay their utility bills: help is here! That’s thanks to a City Council-approved $1.1 million economic relief measure due to the Coronavirus pandemic. A portion of the funding goes to Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) to help customers who are on the verge of falling behind on their utility payments.
What’s new with this extra financial aid is LCU for the first time can help not only residents, but also commercial customers - small businesses who might need a little assistance.
District 4 Councilor, Johana Bencomo, voted for the measure and explained that they [City Council] understand that the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be many. “We are working hard to come up with solutions that will help all Las Crucens through these tough times,” said Bencomo. “Paying for essential services, like utilities, should not be an added stressor. For this reason, Council voted to increase the already existing Utilities Relief Program that is administered in partnership with Casa de Peregrinos.”
Bencomo said, “Residents will not experience service shut-offs during this public health crisis, though I highly encourage residents who are struggling to reach out to our very responsive Utilities Customer Central staff for further assistance.”
A simple phone call starts the process; residential customers or business owners who are looking for help with a utility bill can call Utilities Customer Central at 575-541-2111.
Las Cruces Utilities can be reached at 575-528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.
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PHOTO 1: Local businesses that need support to pay for their utilities can now find help with LCU. Call Customer Central at 575-541-2111 to get assistance.