Here to Help: PG&E Will Continue Providing Robust Customer Support Once COVID-19 Protections End in Late June
April 05 2021 - 4:30PM
Business Wire
Past Due Bills Have Grown Significantly Since
the Start of the Pandemic
Customers Encouraged to Take Action Now by
Exploring Financial-Assistance Programs and Establishing Payment
Plans
As the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic start to subside,
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reminds customers with
past-due balances to explore available financial-assistance
programs now, before the customer protections put in place during
the pandemic end on June 30, 2021. In place since March 2020, these
customer protections included suspending service disconnections for
customers with unpaid bills.
Customers are encouraged to act now and not wait until
protections expire if they are behind on payments. Numerous
programs, tools and tips are available. Please call us today at
(800) 743-5000 if you have an outstanding balance. Translated
support in over 250 additional languages is available at that phone
number.
We have been working with customers with past-due balances for
more than a year and will continue these efforts months after the
protections expire. PG&E will not initiate disconnections
immediately after the protections end. Since March 2020, more than
1.6 million payment plans have been created for residential and
commercial customers.
“We are creating early awareness around the expiration of the
protections and have tools in place to help our customers look to
the future. With a goal of ensuring a smooth transition, we’ve
incorporated feedback from customers, key stakeholders and
community leaders in the development of our transition plan once
protections end," said Marlene Santos, PG&E’s EVP of Customer
Care. “Don’t wait until summer. Call us now. We’re here to
help.”
The number of residential customers with past-due balances has
grown almost 30% from February 2020 to February 2021.
Especially as many customers find themselves with past due
amounts for the first time, PG&E will communicate early and
clearly that we are here to help. Ongoing communications with
customers will focus on the expiration of COVID-19 emergency
customer protections, helping customers understand the status of
their account, offering helpful resources and enabling customers to
stay current through ongoing support and financial assistance
programs.
PG&E’s proposed transition plan designed specifically to
help customers manage their bills as protections are lifted was
submitted to the CPUC last week for review. While awaiting official
CPUC approval, PG&E will continue communicating with customers
to ensure that they are aware and prepared for the anticipated
expiration of the COVID-19 emergency customer protections on June
30. Proactive contact with customers during the pandemic has saved
customers more than $5 million just by changing their rate
plan.
Here are some actions that we plan to assist customers as the
COVID-19 protections end:
- Staggering the restart of the collections and disconnection
process with a grace period after the protections end to support
customers facing uncertainty.
- The recertification and post-enrollment actions that customers
will need to take to qualify for the California Rates for Energy
Program (CARE), the Family Electric Rate Assistance Program (FERA)
and the Medical Baseline Program will be spread out over the rest
of 2021.
- A new online medical practitioner portal for the Medical
Baseline program will be launched. To simplify the enrollment and
recertification process, the portal will enable qualified medical
practitioners to certify a customer’s eligibility for the Medical
Baseline program online. The program provides customers an
additional monthly allotment of energy at the lowest price on the
current rate.
For more updates on our ongoing response to the pandemic and to
learn more about financial assistance and support programs, visit
pge.com/covid19.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric
utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square
miles in Northern and Central California. For more information,
visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
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