The City of Independence today announces a new utilities program to assist customers who may be elderly or have a disability. The Caring Contact Program is a free service that provides extra peace of mind for customers who may face discontinuance of utility services.
“With this new service we hope to ensure all our customers receive notification of a potential disruption in their utility service due to a late, missed, or lost utility bill,” Mayor Rory Rowland said. “There are many reasons this could occur and by providing some of our most vulnerable residents with a safety net of trusted individuals we are hopeful that everyone will get the help they need.”
City of Independence residents who are elderly, have a disability, long-term illness, mobility issues, or often travel can designate a trusted third party as their Caring Contact. In the event the City of Independence Utilities must notify a customer of a potential discontinuance due to past-due bills, the Caring Contact would be notified by phone and email. The contact can then help bring this to the attention of the account owner and perhaps offer aid or advice.
It is important to note, the Caring Contact will not be held financially responsible for the overdue bill, nor will the notification of this individual prevent the disconnection of service. Finally, a valid signature of the account owner will be required to register for this program.
“There are many ways a bill can be overlooked – it gets lost in the mail, delivered to the wrong address, stacked in a pile, or simply forgotten,” Mayor Rowland said. “This program can help make sure these simple mistakes don’t lead to a disconnection for our residents.”
To download a Caring Contact Program form or request one be mailed to you, please visit indep.us/caringcontact or call (816) 325-7930. Completed forms can be returned in the follow ways: