State Officials and Eversource Extend Protection from Service Disconnection
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News Release
State Officials and Eversource Extend Protection from Service
Disconnection During COVID-19 Pandemic for Residential Customers
Energy company encourages customers to take advantage of various payment arrangements, energy savings solutions, and low-income assistance programs to help them save energy and money as well as providing support to low- income customers facing additional financial hardship during the pandemic.
BERLIN, Conn. (Sept. 9, 2020) – With Governor Lamont expanding Connecticut’s COVID-19 state of
emergency and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) extending the state’s moratorium on electric service disconnections for non-hardship residential customers to October 1, Eversource continues working with customers on ways
As part of those efforts, the energy company will not actively move forward with collections activity such as disconnections for residential customers when the state’s moratorium expires on October 1 and will work with state regulators and other stakeholders to evaluate when disconnections for nonpayment should resume. Eversource is also continuing to offer a special COVID-19 Payment Program for all residential customers and enhancing assistance for low-income customers.
“Extending the moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment gives customers breathing room during this uncertain time, and we will continue to suspend all residential customer disconnects as well as waive late payment charges beyond the moratorium’s expiration in October,” said Eversource Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner. “If you are having difficulty paying your utility bill, we encourage you to contact us even if you’ve never done so before. We can work one-on-one with you to identify plans or options to help – including the special COVID-19 Payment Program.”
COVID-19 Payment Program
The COVID-19 Payment Program is available to any residential customer who requests financial assistance during the pandemic and enrolls before November 1, 2020.
- Customers can pay past-due balances in flexible payment plans for up to 24 months.
- No down payment, fees or interest will be charged through the end of the payment plan.
- Once an active payment arrangement has been arranged, the account will be protected from servicedisconnection for the duration of the payment plan – regardless of the status of the state’s moratorium on electric service disconnections.
Low-income Assistance Programs
Additionally, Eversource is enhancing assistance for low-income customers through a number of additional programs:
- The energy company is proactively working with customers through a special arrearage forgiveness process approved by PURA to apply all deposits paid by delinquent customers to their arrearage.
- Low-income heating customers can take advantage of a specialized matching payment program with payments as low as $75.
• The New Start program, which forgives overdue balances as current bill payments are made, is available to qualifying customers, and former participants can now re-enroll without having to make a “good faith payment.”
Customers can learn more about payment programs and enroll online at Eversource.com or by contacting Eversource at 1-800-286-2828.
Energy Efficiency Solutions
With residential energy use increasing during the pandemic, Eversource also reminds customers to take advantage of its #1-ranked energy efficiency solutions to help reduce their energy costs. With many people continuing to work from home and many students returning to remote learning this fall, there are many energy efficiency options available to customers, including the Home Energy Solutions home energy improvement service as well as generous energy efficiency rebates and incentives.
Information on the energy efficiency solutions is available at www.energizect.com.
Business Programs
In addition to the protections extended and special programs available to residential customers during the pandemic, Eversource is similarly offering support to its business customers. Business customers can also take advantage of flexible payment arrangements, energy efficiency solutions and the special arrearage forgiveness process. The energy company has not begun disconnection activity for business customers even though the state’s moratorium on disconnections for businesses expired on August 1
.
This news release was distributed in coordination with other customer notifications as ordered by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.
and will work
with state regulators and other stakeholders to evaluate when disconnections for nonpayment will resume
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Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is the #1 energy company in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2020 and recognized as one of America’s Most JUST Companies and the #1 utility by Forbes and JUST Capital. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity to 1.25 million customers in 149 cities and towns, provides natural gas to 237,000 customers in 74 communities, and supplies water to approximately 198,000 customers in 52 communities across Connecticut. Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 8,300 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally-recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com. |
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tricia Taskey Modifica 860-665-4605
tricia.modifica@eversource.com
107 Selden St.
Berlin, Connecticut 06037
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