How Can My Utility Tell ‘Who Can't’ From ‘Who Won't’ Pay Their Utility Bills?

This month's question asks whether there is an existing policy for utilities to determine if a customer is truly needy, thus requiring aid in paying their bill. The article discusses an assessment tool to document steps in the decision-making process for creating a policy for aid with bill-paying. It is called the Critical Analysis Matrix, and is described by Robert E. McGinn in the book titled, Navigating Rough Waters: Ethical Issues in the Water Industry, published by AWWA in 2001, product order number 20474. This article lists the four steps of the matrix process, along with criteria from Rawls' Difference Principle for determining whether unequal distribution of social good or bad is morally justifiable. The article also provides the logic of another tool called the principle of comparative justice. © 2008 American Water Works Association.