Duke Energy to continue nonpayment service disconnections until October

Duke Energy announced this week that it intends to begin the gradual return to standard billing and payment practices in South Carolina, with service disconnections for nonpayment to remain suspended until October.

This, the company said, will give customers further opportunity to pay off their accounts or make arrangements for the future. It will affect two utilities owned by Duke Energy: Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress. Already, Duke Energy says it has tried to reach out to customers currently behind on their bills to offer payment plans and keep them from eventual disconnect even in October.

“Many of our customers are facing unprecedented adversity during this pandemic, so for months, we have expanded the ways we can help them avoid power interruptions,” Mike Callahan, Duke Energy’s South Carolina state president, said. “Our goal has been to work with customers as South Carolina continues to open up the economy. We will continue to help our customers access resources to assist and provide additional information that can help reduce their bills as we return to standard billing practices.”

Some of these resources include things like the federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offered by community action agencies in the state and financial assistance options for small business customers looking to reopen.

Going forward, Duke Energy will also continue waiving walk-in payment fees for two months after the resumption of regular billing and payment services. For those facing disconnects, the earliest this could happen would be October 12. However, no one who is on a payment plan and remaining current will be disconnected. Those customers still needing payment arrangements will not be required to make down payments.

Duke Energy’s moratorium on disconnects and other methods to reduce the burden on customers during COVID-19 have been ongoing since March.