Having trouble paying your City of Salem utility bill? We can help!

The City of Salem has the following assistance programs available to eligible customers in need of help to pay their bill.

Payment Arrangements

Need a little extra time to pay your current utility bill? You may be eligible to set up a payment arrangement that extends the due date for your current bill. You can set up payment arrangements over the phone, by email, or online.

Eligibility

• You must be the named customer on the City of Salem utility account.
• You must not have had broken payment arrangements in the last three months.
• Water services must not be shutoff for nonpayment.

Who to Contact

• Call our Utility Customer Care Team at 503-588-6099, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Email our Utility Customer Care Team at UtilityBilling@cityofsalem.net
• Visit our online payment system to manage your utility account by registering for an online profile. Registered users can apply for payment arrangements, view billing and payment history, sign up for paperless billing, and sign up for Automatic Bill Pay.

Emergency Utility Assistance Program

Experiencing a short-term need for help with your single-family residential utility bill? You may be eligible for up to $500 of assistance towards your utility bill each calendar year. Once qualified, assistance is applied to your utility account in the amount of the past-due amount or current balance to a maximum of $500 for the calendar year.

Eligibility

• You must be the named customer on a single-family residential City of Salem utility account.
• Your household income must meet income guidelines for the qualifying agency.
  • St. Vincent dePaul and The Salvation Army – must meet The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) income guidelines.
• Assistance may only be applied to utility rates and charges and may not be applied to fees for violations such as meter tampering, meter obstruction, or meter bypass.
• You must be requalified annually by participating agencies.
• You will be considered prequalified if within the last 12 months you have been:
  • Approved by St. Vincent dePaul or The Salvation Army for the Emergency Utility Assistance Program.
  • Approved by Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWA), or the City’s Utility Rate Relief Program.
  • Receiving Salem Housing Authority Section 8 Rental Housing Assistance or living in Salem Housing Authority units.

Who to Contact

• Call our Utility Customer Care Team at 503-588-6099, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to see if you are prequalified. If you are not prequalified you will be referred to our partnering agencies to apply for the program.
• Email our Utility Customer Care Team at UtilityBilling@cityofsalem.net
• Call our Partnering Agencies
  • The Salvation Army, 503-585-6688
    • Monday through Wednesday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
    • Thursday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • St Vincent dePaul, 503-364-3210
    • Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Utility Rate Relief Program for Elderly and Disabled Customers

Customers age 60 and older or have a disabled member living in the household, may be eligible for a monthly discount on their City of Salem utility bill and garbage bill.

Eligibility

• You or a member living in your household must be 60 years of age or older or disabled.
• You must be the named customer on a single-family residential City of Salem utility account with wastewater (sewer) services.
• Your household income must be at or below 60 percent of the State Median Income.

Who to Contact

• Call Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency for more information or to apply at 503-588-9016, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.