Gas, Electric Utilities Suspending Service Shutoffs

By Russell Gold

Water, gas and electric utilities across the U.S. are suspending the shutting off of service for a failure to pay bills during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

From coast to coast, utilities say they are taking these steps to help customers who are currently or may soon be going through a difficult economic period.

Duke Energy Corp. said Friday it was suspending disconnections for nonpayment, effectively immediately, for all home and business accounts in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida.

"We will continue to look for ways to support customer needs during the pandemic," the company, which serves about 7.8 million customers, said in a statement.

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. unit PSE&G, which provides natural gas and electricity in New Jersey, said it was taking the step because of the health and financial hardship people may soon face.

"We recognize that customers may experience financial difficulty as a result of the outbreak, whether they or a family member fall ill, are required to quarantine, or because their income is otherwise affected. We hope to alleviate those customers' concerns about their electric or gas service during this time," the utility said.

On Thursday, San Francisco-based utility PG&E Corp. said it had voluntarily started a moratorium on service disconnections for both residential and commercial customers, and said it would offer flexible pay plans as needed.

Houston suspended water disconnections until the end of April, following the lead of Seattle.

"We're keeping our utilities on for the duration of the COVID-19 Civil Emergency in Seattle," Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan said in a statement earlier this week. "We're already seeing the impact Covid-19 is having on working people, nonprofits, and small business owners."

Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities provide electric and water service to customers in the city

Write to Russell Gold at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 13, 2020 14:07 ET (18:07 GMT)

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