Illinois electric, water utilities halt residential disconnects ahead of winter months
Effective Dec. 1, 2020, six Illinois utilities — Ameren Illinois, ComEd, Liberty Utilities, Nicor, North Shore, and Peoples Gas — will cease disconnects for all residential customers until the end of the winter months.
While common for electric utilities, it is more unusual for water utilities, which are not affected by winter rules. However, Aqua Illinois, Illinois American Water and Utilities Services of Illinois have agreed to join the disconnection pledge and halt service interruptions for all participants in the state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), as well as those who self-report financial or COVID-19 inflicted hardships. This new plan should run until March 31, 2021.
“Difficult times lie ahead in Illinois as we are experiencing a dangerous second wave of COVID-19 cases,” Illinois Commerce Commission Chairman Carrie Zalewski said. “The growing concerns of this virus have prompted the state’s largest gas and electric utilities to voluntarily stop disconnections for all residential customers immediately. We all must do as much as we can to stop the spread of COVID-19 and encourage each other to stay home and stay safe.”
These utilities have also reached agreements with consumer advocate groups and the ICC that will establish bill payment assistance services and extended deferred payment arrangements. Though this will vary by utility, residential customers will be able to enter longer deferred payment arrangements with small down payments through Dec. 26, 2020.
In all cases, the utilities urge struggling customers to self-report their hardships or membership in assistance programs.
