PLAINFIELD, Ind., July 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy
Indiana will continue to suspend service disconnections for
nonpayment for an additional month beyond the state's current
moratorium on disconnection for nonpayment. Customers who are
experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic now
have until September 15 to settle
their accounts or make payment arrangements.
Leading up to the deadline, Duke Energy is offering customers in
need the opportunity to establish payment plans for up to six
months in length. The company is also urging eligible customers to
take advantage of additional Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
Program funds available through statewide community action agencies
due to the pandemic.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March, the company
immediately launched a sweeping series of steps to help customers,
including suspending disconnections for non-payment, as well as
late-payment fees and residential fees for credit card payments and
other payment types.
During the pandemic, the Duke Energy Foundation has contributed
over $950,000 in foundation and
corporate funds to Indiana
not-for-profit organizations, focusing on food, small business
recovery, education and workforce needs of its customers and
communities.
"So many of our customers are facing unprecedented adversity
during this pandemic. We want to be thoughtful and provide extended
payment options to avoid power interruptions," said Stan Pinegar, Duke Energy Indiana state
president. "As financial assistance has become available for
qualified customers, we believe now is the right time to begin
resuming more standard operations. We will, however, continue to
help our customers access resources to assist and provide
additional information that can help reduce their bills."
Enhanced customer care
Duke Energy Indiana has contacted residential and
non-residential customers with significant past-due balances on
their utility bills, offering payment plans to mitigate potentially
more significant financial challenges in the future.
"If you are facing a financial hardship, we are here to help,"
said Marion Byndon, Duke Energy
general manager for customer service. "Our customer contact
specialists are prepared to support our customers through these
challenging times and provide manageable solutions so customers can
keep their lights on."
Expanded assistance options
Duke Energy Indiana will continue to provide assistance to
residential and business customers whose accounts have fallen
behind due to illness or lost wages.
Support for these efforts include:
- Federal-funded programs like the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Additional funds were added to the
program due to the pandemic, and the state is urging utility
customers to apply through statewide community action agencies.
Click here for details.
- The added convenience for customers to choose an extended
payment arrangement that meets their needs on-line, anytime. Click
here for more information.
- Resources are available here for small business customers as
they are reopening, from financial assistance to billing and
payment options to professional guidance to manage their energy
usage.
- To make it easier to pay, the company will continue waiving
credit and debit card and walk-in payment fees for residential
customers for an additional two months once standard billing and
payment practices resume. These fees will resume in November.
What customers can expect
Duke Energy Indiana will return to standard billing and payment
practices in mid-August, which means customers in arrears will
receive notices about their past-due balances and the earliest
possible date their service could be interrupted. That change will
result in disconnections for non-payment under regular credit and
notice timelines after September 15
for residential and non-residential customers.
The company anticipates higher-than-normal call volume and
encourages customers to consider using the online self-service
options now to avoid longer wait times.
Customers should download the company's mobile app or visit
duke-energy.com for information and most service transactions.
Customers who are unable to self-serve can contact the customer
contact center at 800.521.2232.
Duke Energy's customer service specialists are available Monday
through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to
assist customers with customized payment plans that meet their
specific situations.
Customers who need financial assistance are encouraged to visit
211.org to locate available resources. The free service can help
customers find local community agencies that provide assistance to
meet a wide range of needs, including:
- Utility bills
- Housing, food and other essentials
- Child and elder care
- Medical expenses and health counseling
To get started, simply visit 211.org or dial 211 from
your phone.
Service orders, field operations
The company also suspended some of its field operations and
non-emergency work inside customers' premises. However, as a
provider of an essential service, the company continues working
hard to deliver the reliable power customers need while following
CDC guidelines to protect the health and well-being of its
communities.
The company has been methodically resuming some activities,
consistent with its commitment to safely and reliably serve
customers.
As the company continues to resume service orders previously
suspended, personnel will follow CDC guidelines to complete
work.
Duke Energy Indiana employees and contractors who may interact
with customers or engage in field work have access to necessary
personal protective equipment and will maintain social distancing
to the extent practical.
For work that must be scheduled, the company will contact
customers in advance to inform them of the nature of the work and
the safety protocols that will be used. Customers will have the
right to refuse and reschedule the work for a later date, unless an
immediate safety issue exists. If you have questions regarding work
that needs to be scheduled, please call us.
The company anticipates that all previously delayed, deferred,
and suspended non-essential operations will have resumed by
September 1, 2020.
Duke Energy Indiana
Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about
6,600 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 840,000
customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it
Indiana's largest electric
supplier.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of the
largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000
people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts
through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its
nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.
Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience,
modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and
expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy
future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric
Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve
approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states –
North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities
and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6
million customers in five states – North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit
operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as
well as energy storage and microgrid projects.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2020 "World's Most Admired
Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list.
More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact
sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's
illumination features stories about people, innovations,
community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on
Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Media Contact: Lew
Middleton
Office: 317.838.1505 | Cell: 317.474.7448
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy