One of the first things many electric utilities did at the outbreak of the novel coronavirus was to announce they would stop shutting off power for customers who could not pay their bills due to economic hardship.
Some utilities made this policy change voluntarily and others were ordered to do so by state legislators or utility regulators. However, not every utility has made this commitment.
If you are a utility customer and you’re unsure of whether your utility has made this pledge, you should call them.
You should also try to determine what specific changes your utility has made, and for how long the changes will remain in effect. For example, some utilities will no longer shut off power to commercial and residential customers while others don’t mention business customers. Some will not charge late fees while others still may. Some state policies have ordered utilities to reconnect those whose power has been cut, but others have not. Finally, some utilities’ grace periods are for the indefinite future and some have a set time period.
According to the Energy and Policy Institute, the state governments of the following states have declared an official moratorium on utility shut-offs: California, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. Another three states, Illinois, South Carolina and West Virginia, are “requesting” or “urging” utilities to stop cutting off power.
The following large investor-owned utilities have suspended power disconnections: Ameren, American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Evergy, FirstEnergy, Georgia Power, NV Energy, PECO, PG&E, Southern California Edison, Xcel Energy. This is not an exhaustive list.
Some utilities as of the time of this writing are offering help to a narrower slice of their customer base. DTE Energy and Consumers Energy said they will not cut off the power of senior customers and low-income customers for a certain time period.
As of the time of this writing, NRG Energy’s COVID-19 response had no specific information about its disconnection policy.
There are many municipal, cooperative and small utilities in the United States, so if you are unsure about your utility’s official policy on bill payment post-COVID-19, give them a call directly or check their website.
