Johns Hopkins reported at least 45,966 new cases in the U.S. on August 28. In addition to offering payment plans, Hardy said Duke Energy is continuing to waive credit card fees for payments in an effort to help customers' money go as far as it can. An Enquirer analysis of state disclosures shows Duke cut off power to more than 83,000 electric customers - giving it a disconnection rate of 13 percent, more than twice the state average for. TAMPA, Fla. -- Duke Energy announced on Friday it would no longer disconnect customers' power over nonpayment during the coronavirus pandemic. Because disconnections when a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant has certified the termination of service would be detrimental to the health of the customer's household, the utility must make three additional attempts to contact the customer. Eligible charges are divided into equal installments, which are billed each month along with the current bill. Due date for utility bills extended to 22 days. Utility must provide affidavit to the Commission that disconnect will not endanger the health of any household member. Duke Energy | Complaints | Better Business Bureau Profile Everything you need to know about energy savings and information regarding energy service for your home from Duke Energy. Some Texas utilities have voluntarily suspended disconnects, but others have not. The Public Service Commission has amended the state's cold weather rule to ban winter natural gas disconnections of certain income-eligible households provided they make a minimum payment, about 50 percent of their bill. No disconnect for 15 days for illness certified by a physician, certification can be renewed. In cases where regulators or utilities are not suspending late fee accrual, customers facing hardship could face accumulated charges to pay back when the emergency is deemed over. NRG directed customers to visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls website. Termination may be postponed for up to 21 days (plus one renewal) with a physician's certificate or notice from a public health official stating that termination would be detrimental to the health/safety of a person. Duke Energy and AES: Central Indiana's electric utilities guide - IndyStar If an excessive heat warning or a freeze warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for the county of the scheduled disconnect, such disconnects are suspended. Many utilities that sell electricity and gas around the United States are suspending disconnections of customers who do not pay their bills during the coronavirus crisis, or are being ordered to suspend disconnections by regulators or other government officials. Copyright 2023 WTVD-TV. "We're there for them," she said. Duke Energy won't disconnect power over nonpayment amid COVID-19 pandemic Cannot disconnect unless a bill is at least 45 days overdue and proper notification has been sent. What you should and shouldn't be doing during a power outage, indy.gov/activity/indy-parks-family-centers, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Disconnection is delayed if detrimental to existing medical condition, written certification to utility can be renewed every 180 days as needed. Retail electric providers in Texas, which has a deregulated electricity market, are still required to pay transmission utilities under normal operating rules whether a retail customer is paying them for service or not. Is Duke Energy disconnecting for non payment? - TimesMojo Low income customers must make monthly payments of at least 7% of their estimated annual bill, along with a portion of any past-due amount, November through March to avoid shut-off. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. emergency. Further results are below. Lakeland Electric will not disconnect power for nonpayment Utilities must honor a physician's certificate in prescribed form that a customer/permanent resident has a serious medical condition and stating that suspension of service would result in substantial risk of death or grave impairment. How are the working hours at Duke Energy? NRG Energy, with service territory across multiple states, issued a statement saying that it extended its ongoing support to those who may need us, but offered no comments on updates to its disconnection policies. I really don't have a Plan B.". All residential customers can have power restored with a down payment. "The bills are never accurate," she said. If you encounter a downed traffic signal or a limb blocking a roadway, contact the Mayor's Action Center at 317-327-4622 or online at RequestIndy.gov. Must allow customers to pay balance over next 6 months after winter moratorium. 31 that its member companies have committed to work closely with state public utility commissions to appropriately suspend disconnecting customers from their natural gas service.. Utilities must delay disconnect for 30 days for customers who are age 65 or older, ill, or disabled. Those who notify their gas and electric utility that they are applying for LIHEAP certification through the local CAP agency may receive a 30 day stay from service disconnection during the moratorium. 7am-7pm Monday through Friday, mandatory overtime. Florida Power & Light (FPL), a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, announced on March 16 that it would suspend disconnections at least through the end of March. FPL had initially sent customers an email on Friday, March 13 advising customers having trouble paying their bills to look to FPL, federal, state, and local resources, but did not state it was suspending disconnections, and linked to a page that did not list COVID-19 among allowable reasons for bill payment extensions. Consumer line: 800-524-0795 or 217-782-2024 (outside Illinois). Customer must pay bill in installments within the next 90 days. Customers who need to temporarily disconnect their service must call us 24 hours in advance of the time they need to suspend service. Utility company not required to negotiate a payment plan more than once due to significant change in financial circumstances. Utility shall provide any residential customer whose account is delinquent an opportunity to enter into a reasonable amortization agreement to pay the delinquent account and must provide the customer with adequate opportunity to apply for and receive the benefits of any available public assitance program. View a table of state seasonal termination protections only. She reached out to WCNC Charlotte with concerns about a billing issue. Click Stop Service to complete your request. ", National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) Hardy said disconnections are a last resort. It is equal to two-twelfths of the bill. Longer or more open-ended policies are likely more effective at reducing customers anxieties during the crisis, freeing limited funds for other needs. There are also rules prohibiting disconnection of service for certain medical reasons. Answer See 1 answer. Duke Energy will not disconnect any customer's service for non-payment, in order to give customers experiencing financial hardship extra time to make payments. AES said power . The company says a workforce of around 1,600 is currently responding to finish the job, including employees from the Carolinas, Ohia, and Kentucky. If a household is shut off prior to December 1, the utility must attempt to contact the customer and attempt to negotiate an agreement regarding payment of any arrearages and restoration of service. 21 day delay if physician, social services, public health or law enforcement officer certifies to medical or protective services (elderly, infants, disabled etc.) Utilities are prohibited from terminating service to low-income households where occupants present certification that a household member is seriously ill or is an infant under 12 months of age. Customers eligible for the Winter Termination Protection Program are placed on a budget plan and cannot be disconnected as long as they make good faith payments. "We never want to see the number of complaints rise, but we know that there is always opportunities to look at the data, figure out where those issues may arise and address them before they can increase," Duke Energy Communications Consultant Pam Hardy said. Delay disconnect for 30 days with medical certification. "That's something that we want to avoid at all costs if possible.". Call them. Disconnect not permitted for any customer who cannot pay an overdue charge because of financial hardship. Winter Protection Plan for elderly 65 years or older, recipients of Medicaid, Food Stamps or Department of Human Services cash assistance, full time active military personnel or persons needing critical care or having a certified medical emergency. Certification of licensed doctor or health practitioner is required. This program helps shield the customer's budget from expensive heating and . No disconnect if customers enters into a deferred payment plan. Utility Service Protection Program payment plans for low-income customers (<150% FPG) provide shut-off protection year-round. Commission may order a ban on all disconnections if severe weather or if dangerous to health of the customer. [Update 3/24: Reliant Energy Retail Services in Texas (an NRG company) submitted a letter on 3/17 to the Public Utility Commission of Texas that it is pausing payment-related disconnects for residential and small commercial customers.]. For some solar panel users, this more than doubled their bills because they don't use any electrical power. If you dont see your utility listed here, you should call it, or your states public utility commission, to find out the most up-to-date information. Not permitted if eligible customer agrees to a special payment arrangement that allows the customer to pay less than the amount of each current bill during the winter months. Indy Parks Family Centers will be available as cooling locations on Friday and Saturday. Disconnect shall be postponed for 21 days due to the medical condition of an occupant. - Heat Protection Wake Up CharlotteToGo is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team atWake Up Charlotte. No, we can put service only in the name of the person making the application. Move your service from one location served by Duke Energy to another. In summer months public utilities cannot turn off gas or electricity when it is the sole power source for the cooling if the forecast for the following 24 hours includes temperature at or above 95F; includes master-meter buildings. 139k without power Friday morning across Indiana David Pomerantz is the Executive Director of the Energy and Policy Institute. State records show the North Carolina Utilities Commission's customer advocates started receiving more complaints in the months leading up to that last-minute decision. A legislator is calling on Florida Gov. Disconnection delayed for up to two months if physician certifies that health of household member would be adversely affected. This list is generally focused on electric and gas utilities. Can they shut off my water if I have a baby? Households that do not honor the payment arrangements will be subject to disconnect once the temperature is above 32 degrees or beginning in April, whichever comes first. Twins Annabell Khaznahkatbi, 8, foreground, and Julissa Khaznahkatbi, 8, play in the front yard of . In Michigan, Consumers Energy told EPI that it is suspending shutoffs only for certain customer classes: We are suspending shutoffs for non-pay for low-income and senior customers beginning March 16, 2020 through April 5, 2020, said Director of Media Relations Katie Carey. On March 30, Sen. Ed Markey (D Mass.) A medical certificate will prevent disconnection up to 6 months for non-chronic condition, up to 12 months for chronic condition and requires the customer to set up a payment plan. Total ban when <32. Duke Energy will provide power restoration time estimates once there is more information from damage assessment, but extended outages are possible in the hardest hit areas, according to the news release.
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