Don’t forget to dial 2-1-1 for resources if you’re struggling — see whether what’s listed in yr local area can help. The following are samples mostly of corporate relief programs going on around the country, mostly as of March 16, to take a lead from in checking your local situation further:
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Major utilities across the country last week halted service disconnections and implemented flexible payment plans to assist customers in dealing with the spread of coronavirus and its economic impacts.
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[Suspension of service disconnection has been ordered by some state & other govts, e.g.] Connecticut, New Jersey [see Politico, below], Ohio, Seattle... AustinTX...
...Pepco, an Exelon subsidiary, suspended service disconnections and waived new late payment fees through at least May…
...Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) placed a moratorium on service disconnections [of] both residential and commercial customers [and mentions flexible payment plans "to customers who indicate either an impact or hardship as a result of COVID-19."other forms of help/relief ✱] until further notice….
...Consolidated Edison[has suspended service shutoffs for customers having payment troubles ✱] FirstEnergy, Georgia Power[suspending residential shutoffs for 30 days, after which it will reevaluate its policy* — see also SavannahNow, below] and a host of other utilities have taken similar actions…
... EEI has warned that electric companies could see up to 40% of their workforce out sick as the coronavirus continues to spread…
...Utilities are also warning they have seen a spike in phishing attempts and scams related to the virus….
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...Comcast... offering free access to its Xfinity WiFi hot spots for everyone, including non-subscribers, for the 60 days. It's also providing unlimited data to its customers for no extra charge and is not disconnecting internet service or charging late fees for customers who say they can't pay their bills. The company is also providing 60 days of free basic internet service to new customers…
...AT&T... suspending the termination of wireless, home phone or broadband service when customers can't pay their bills because of coronavirus disruptions. The company is also waiving related late fees. Like Comcast, AT&T is also providing free access to its public WiFi hot spots. The company also said its consumer home internet wireline customers and fixed wireless internet customers would receive unlimited data…
...Verizon ... waiving late fees and suspending service termination for customers "negatively impacted by the global crisis."
...T-Mobile ... providing unlimited data to all current customers who have plans with data for the next 60 days. It will also provide additional data to mobile hotspot users….
...Hyundai...is reviving its... Assurance Job Loss Protection Program to give owners "peace of mind in uncertain times" as the coronavirus outbreak leads to concerns that Americans will stop buying new cars and trucks. Hyundai ... will provide up to six months of car payments to new buyers if they lose their jobs involuntarily. It will also provide 90 days of payment deferral on new purchases.
...Ford ... offering customers "potential delay of payments to provide relief." It's also providing new-car buyers the chance to delay their first payment by 90 days.
...NV Energy ... suspending disconnections "for our customers directly impacted by this crisis" and is waiving late fees and deposits "for customers who experience financial hardships related to COVID-19, or are unable to pay due to self-isolation."…
...PSE&G ... suspending shutoffs to residential customers for non-payment through the end of April, "at which time PSE&G will evaluate the continued need..."
...Charter Communications/Spectrum/Brighthouse ... free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi internet for the next 60 days to households with K-12 students or college students who don't already have a subscription [and] offering its Wi-Fi hot spots for free to the public…
...Atlanta Gas Light ... has suspended shutoffs for seven days while it evaluates its options…
...National Grid ... suspending service disconnections and other "collections-related activities" through the end of April, after which the policy will be reevaluated…
...Atlantic Broadband … will not terminate service for residential or small business customers due to nonpayment if they've faced "disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic." It is also waiving late fees that customers "might normally incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic..."
...Enterprise ... rental car ... reducing the minimum age for renting a car to 18 through May 31 "to make it easier for students to get home to their families" due to the suspension of college courses….
...Northern Indiana Public Service Company: NIPSCO is suspending shutoffs for nonpayment until further notice…
...Green Mountain Power... [in 15 states & Canada] suspending shutoffs and is deferring bill collection in recognition of financial hardships some customers may face due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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...“No utility can turn off service … if a person cannot pay their bill as a result of responding to this virus situation,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a press conference Friday.
Utilities in New York have voluntarily agreed to this measure, according to the governor’s office. No order from the Public Service Commission is expected.
...There’s a campaign in New York to suspend evictions and foreclosures, with growing political support.
[Public Service Electric and Gas Company, New Jersey’s largest utility, said in a statement]”“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,” [whatever that means] policy will be in place at least through the end of April, as will Atlantic City Electric’s...
...Water service ... Atlanta and Detroit [are among cities that] suspended shut-offs to ensure residents have water to wash their hands. Seattle suspended water and electric shutoffs…
...American Water ... in 16 states [with] 650,000 customers in New Jersey and 350,000 in New York, has halted any shutoffs … and will also restore service. New York City does not shut off service for nonpayment, but does issue liens against people’s property…
...Con Edison, the largest utility in the state serving most of New York City [suspending] all shut-offs in the one-mile radius New Rochelle containment area [and] its entire New York City and Westchester County territory.
Avangrid, which owns New York State Electric & Gas and Rochester Gas & Electric, serving broad swathes of upstate New York, will suspend shut-offs due to unpaid bills for 30 days...
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City of Savannah … has suspended water disconnections for nonpayment through March 31 and will reevaluate the situation at that time and make adjustments as conditions warrant.
City of Tybee Island … utility services are operating as normal.
Water Utility Management … which services a large portion of Chatham County, will suspend all water service shutoffs for those facing financial difficulties through March 31. The company will revisit the policy prior to or at that time.
City of Pooler — As of Monday, March 16, utility services are operating as normal.
City of Garden City — As of Monday, March 16, utility services are operating as normal.
City of Bloomingdale — has suspended water disconnections and associated services for nonpayment through March 31. The city will reevaluate the situation at that time and make adjustments as conditions warrant.
Bryan County — As of Monday, March 16, services are operating as normal, but county officials are assessing the situation.
Effingham County — For the current billing cycle, Effingham County Water Department will be suspending disconnections due to nonpayment and waiving late fees.
Georgia Power — Beginning March 14, Friday, Georgia Power will temporarily suspend residential disconnections for the next 30 days and will reevaluate the policy and time frame as the situation develops.[See a report on this company’s nuclear construction project here.]
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EENews - March 16[grid industry news, just this re customers]
...Chicago-based ComEd, which serves 4 million customers, is imposing a moratorium on service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges through at least May 1, in addition to working with customers who are facing financial hardships on a case-by-case basis to establish payment arrangements and identify energy assistance options, spokesman Paul Elsberg said…
...In response to a state of emergency declared by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Thursday directed utilities to act where possible to avoid suspending service to customers.
Contact yr creditors ...Banks including Capital One, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo are encouraging their customers facing economic hardship to contact them to see what they can work out. Credit unions are also offering assistance and loan help. Additionally, you may be able to sign up for a hardship plan, which could mean lower interest rates or smaller fees and penalties for a time…. [Utilities]… If you have student loans, contact your servicer to see what your options are. If you have federal loans, consider forbearance — interest is currently being waived for the duration of the crisis — or going on an income-based repayment plan, which could lower your monthly payments, sometimes even to $0 per month.
Create an “emergency” budget [and see if you can “pause” non-needs such as recreational subscriptions etc.)
National Consumer Law Center — If you are having trouble paying your mortgage, your first step should be to seek out a legal advocate, according to the National Consumer Law Center. From there, you can send hardship letters to lenders, like your mortgage company, to see what your options are. [NCLC sample hardship letter]
Assistance Programs [keep places of worship & faith-based organizations in mind if you needfood banks but they’ve run dry. Use FB to find local resources, this article sez.]
If possible, avoid payday loans, [a.ka.] cash advances .. easy to get and ... helpful in times of extreme financial duress, but … incredibly expensive. The national average APR … is almost 400%, per the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Even a high-interest credit card has a significantly lower APR than that (between 12% and 30%).
These are also highly predatory and can keep lendees in a debt trap. They are structured to be paid off in one lump sum, typically within two to four weeks after they are originated. You’re then hit with penalties and fees if you can’t repay it. You’re better off accruing some credit card debt than using these loans.
Check out: The best credit cards of 2020 could earn you over $1,000 in 5 years...