Rate Setting & Affordability

• Formulate Great Rates Guidebook
  RCAP’s step-by-step guide on setting rates for your water system that cover expenses, are fair and equitable and are easy to administer.
• Formulate Great Rates: A Webcast on Setting Rates in Small-Community Utilities (Part 1)
  A recorded webcast that is a companion to RCAP’s Formulate Great Rates: The Guide to Conducting a Rate Study for a Water System.
• Formulate Great Rates: A Webcast on Setting Rates in Small-Community Utilities (Part 2)
  A recorded webcast that is a companion to RCAP’s Formulate Great Rates: The Guide to Conducting a Rate Study for a Water System.
• Rate Guide Supplemental Materials (Excel)
  Excel workbook supplement to the Formulate Great Rates guidebook.
• RCAP Blog: Three Things to Do Before a Rate Change
  A blog post outlining three steps to take before a rate change.
• UNC Environmental Finance Center: Tools To Assist Water Utilities With Financial Decision Making
  The EFC at UNC has created several free tools to assist water utilities in addressing the challenges commonly seen in communities.

• UNC Environmental Finance Center: Finance Dashboards
  Rates Dashboards are designed to assist utility managers and local officials to compare and analyze water and wastewater rates against multiple characteristics, including utility finances, system characteristics, customer base socioeconomic conditions, geography, and history.

• EPA: Compendium of Drinking Water and Wastewater Customer Assistance Programs
  A document describing the benefits, implementation, and examples of customer assistance programs (CAPs) throughout the country.

• UNC Environmental Finance Center: Navigating Legal Pathways To Rate-Funded Customer Assistance Programs
  This project focuses on the legality of how customer assistance programs can be financed by the utility.

RCAP Educational Program Materials

• Webinar: Understanding and Improving Your Water System’s Bill Collection Rate
  This webinar explored calculations to measure the bill collection rate, how that rate is tied to the rate setting process, and strategies to improve the rate.