ATLANTA, March 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power
remains committed to providing customers continued safe and
reliable service, while offering updates on additional energy
assistance programs and providing the latest scam avoidance tips as
the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
The company announced last week that it would temporarily
suspend residential disconnections beginning Saturday, March 14, 2020, for 30 days, and will
reevaluate the decision and time frame as the situation develops.
Georgia Power highly encourages all customers to continue to make
payments and practice energy efficiency to avoid large balance due
amounts when the suspension ends.
Assistance when you need it
Georgia Power partners
with nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations to offer
assistance programs to those in need. Programs include:
- Georgia Power's Senior Citizen Discount – Georgia Power
customers 65 years of age or older who meet the income requirements
for eligibility can receive up to $24
a month off their bill.
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) –
Georgia Power supports the Division of Family & Children
Services to help qualifying, low-income households pay their home
energy bills.
- The Salvation Army's Project SHARE: Established in
partnership with The Salvation Army, Georgia Power customers can
provide assistance to residents in the same community for expenses,
such as utility bills, housing, food and medical necessities.
Georgia Power has also developed public service announcements
(PSAs) to highlight the various assistance and energy efficiency
programs available to customers. The PSAs encourage customers to
explore www.GeorgiaPower.com/EnergyAssistance to find the best
solutions for their individual need. The PSAs can be viewed on the
company's YouTube channel.
Customer Scam Warnings
Additionally, Georgia Power is
urging customers to be aware of scammers during the COVID-19
pandemic. Customers should beware of phone calls demanding payment
via phone. Georgia Power will never ask for a credit card or
pre-paid debit card number over the phone. If a customer receives a
suspicious call from someone claiming to be from Georgia Power and
demanding payment to avoid disconnection, they should hang up and
contact the company's customer service line at 888-660-5890.
Georgia Power works with law enforcement agencies throughout the
state to identify and prosecute criminals who pose as Georgia Power
employees in order to defraud customers. Additional information
about frequent scams and how the company works to protect customers
is available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Scams.
Georgia Power Employee Safety
Georgia Power has been
closely monitoring the potential threat posed by COVID-19 since
January. Proactive actions have been taken to both prevent the
spread of the illness and protect the safety and health of
employees, including:
- Implementing telecommuting for those who can perform their
duties remotely
- Cancelling facility tours and external meetings
- Increasing cleaning frequency at company locations
- Aggressively sanitizing work areas
- Cancelling all non-essential business travel – both domestic
and international
- Asking employees to self-identify, if they have or plan to
travel internationally
- Using technology for meetings
The company regularly provides information and updates on the
virus to employees, including prevention recommendations from the
Centers for Disease Control, and is following the latest
developments and updates from public health officials and medical
professionals.
Vogtle 3 & 4 and COVID-19
Georgia Power remains
focused on protecting the safety and health of workers at the
Vogtle 3&4 site, and the company's implementation of
comprehensive plans have helped us take every action to prepare for
the COVID-19 pandemic. Our proactive steps employ aggressive worker
distancing strategies, including expanding our onsite medical
clinic, adjusting break schedules and setting up mobile facilities
to add more distance between individuals onsite. We continue to
draw on the expertise of medical professionals and consult the
latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, as we encourage the workforce to more closely monitor
their health and report concerns. We have also taken immediate
precautionary steps to identify and notify workers who were located
in close proximity to the individuals being tested and have sent
those team members home while we await test results.
Additional proactive action steps by the company to support
distancing and hygiene initiatives include:
- Adding portable bathrooms and washing stations, adjusting break
schedules and setting up additional space with overflow tents.
- Closing our onsite cafeteria
- Suspending onsite mass transit trams and shuttle busses.
- Limiting one person per transaction for tools and materials
pickup
- Pre-staging certain tools and materials ready for pickup.
- Disinfecting tools prior to check-in
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest
electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's
premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and
Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6
million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to
delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates
below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse,
innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural
gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind.
Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its
customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by
J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer
satisfaction. For more information, visit
www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook
(Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and
Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).
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SOURCE Georgia Power