November 21, 2023

More than 21,000 customers took advantage of $100 credit offer; newly announced extension will give qualifying customers $50 credit

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that it has saved its customers more than $2.1 million through its autopay enrollment incentive program, which ran for three months through Nov. 15 and offered a $100 credit to more than 21,000 qualifying customers on their water bills. The program was so successful that DEP is now extending it by providing a $50 credit to new autopay enrollment customers who sign up. DEP launched this savings program as a follow-up to the successful amnesty program, which saved customers who paid their overdue water bills more than $22 million in interest charges.

“Our initial autopay incentive program was a great success, saving our customers more than $2.1 million simply for enrolling in autopay,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “We are excited to extend the program to offer yet another way for our customers to save on their water bills and ensure they don’t miss a payment. Water bill payments are critical to supporting New York City’s water system and its infrastructure, a system we simply could not live without.”

Since the program rollout on Aug. 14, DEP has issued 21,421 autopay credits worth $2,142,000. Approximately 143,000 accounts, or 17% of DEP’s customers, are currently enrolled in autopay—a 5% increase from when the incentive began. This extended initiative aims to further expand autopay participation, which will help keep accounts current, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce the volume of bill inquiries to our call center, borough offices and correspondence unit.

Customers are eligible for the $50 credit if they sign up for autopay using their My DEP account. They must be enrolled in monthly billing, e-billing and cannot be delinquent on bills. If a customer has multiple accounts, all accounts can be eligible for the non-refundable $50 one-time credit, if all the program requirements are met.

Autopay allows customers to pay their bills automatically on the due date, or a specific date each month, and avoid the hassle of remembering to pay on time. The autopay feature automatically deducts a customer’s balance or payment amount from their bank account or credit card.

Plus, setting it doesn’t mean forgetting it—customers will receive monthly notifications that their payment is scheduled and paid. Customers are required to stay current on their bills and be enrolled in autopay, e-billing, and monthly billing for six months after the $50 credit is applied to the account. If any of these qualifying actions are altered, the $50 credit will be revoked.

Additional info can be quickly found at nyc.gov/dep/autopay or by calling DEP Customer Service during business hours: Monday, 8am–7pm; Tuesday to Friday, 8am–6pm; Saturday, 9am–12pm at (718) 595-7000. Please note that only property owners can enroll in autopay, monthly billing, and e-billing. DEP staff cannot enroll customers’ accounts into these services.

About the NYC Department of Environmental Protection

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.8 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP also protects the health and safety of New Yorkers by enforcing the Air and Noise Codes and asbestos rules. DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $31 billion in investments over the next 10 years. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.