National Grid defers rate increases during COVID-19 crisis

National Grid is deferring a bill increase for customers in New York State to provide relief from the economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The company is currently asking state regulators for permission to postpone the previously approved gas and electricity price increases for three months. The price increases were scheduled to take effect on April 1.

“We have made the commitment to help our customers through these challenging times and this is another step on that journey,” Badar Khan, National Grid’s Interim U.S. president, said. “We will continue to closely monitor our customers’ needs during the pandemic and find new ways to assist where we can.”

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, National Grid has taken several actions to provide relief for customers, including suspending collections-related activities. The company has also dedicated $500,000 to community-based organizations to help support many of the basic customer and community needs being interrupted.

Further, National Grid is encouraging customers to take advantage of a variety of payment and billing options designed to make transactions easy and convenient. The company is also offering the expertise of consumer advocates, who provide crisis intervention support for customers in need. The advocates work closely with county social services and community assistance organizations.