Apex, NC, Apr. 29, 2026 — Apex is preparing to restart utility late fees and resume service disconnections this summer as more than $6 million in unpaid customer balances continues to weigh on the town’s billing system. The move marks a return to standard enforcement after a multi-year pause tied to billing disruptions, system changes, and meter upgrades that left penalties and shutoffs largely suspended.
Town data shows about $6.1 million in balances more than 30 days past due, including approximately $4.4 million that has remained unpaid for more than 90 days, spread across 4,405 customer accounts out of more than 30,000 active utility accounts. Those figures reflect the combined impact of deferred enforcement and lingering account issues that developed during the town’s transition to a new billing system and infrastructure upgrades.
The current system differs significantly from how utility billing typically operates. Apex is not charging late fees on overdue accounts and has not been disconnecting service for nonpayment, even when balances have accumulated over several billing cycles. That approach is now shifting back to a standard model, where missed payments trigger penalties and, if left unresolved, eventual service interruption…