Area power companies are assisting their customers during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus by temporarily suspending service disconnects on customer accounts.
Cleco, SLEMCO, Entergy, LUS, and Atmos are all implementing the suspension as the state continues to see a rising number of presumptive positive cases of COVID-19.
Below are details from each of the above power companies regarding their response to the coronavirus.
- Atmos
Atmos Energy understands that the coronavirus outbreak may cause some of our valued customers to experience financial difficulty, whether because of illness, quarantine or a disruption at work. As part of its commitment to serving and working with its customers throughout this difficult time, Atmos Energy has temporarily suspended natural gas disconnections.
"Atmos Energy's commitment to safety, paired with our culture, have led us during unique times. This will be no different," said Kevin Akers, president and CEO of Atmos Energy. "We prepare year-round for the unexpected and will maintain our attention to detail, our passion for excellence and our sense of urgency. We stand ready to take action and take care of our valued customers and employees while delivering the clean, safe, affordable and reliable energy our customers require."
Among the ways that Atmos Energy supports those who need it most, "Sharing the Warmth" is a program that leverages the generosity of customer donations with additional contributions by Atmos Energy to amplify the amount of assistance offered. Atmos Energy then partners with local nonprofit agencies to effectively reach those customers. Customers who need help paying their bill may visit https://www.atmosenergy.com/customer-service/get-help-paying-your-bill to locate the nearest community action agency for assistance.
Atmos Energy also offers Budget Billing, which is based on a rolling, 12-month average of the bill and adjusts monthly, providing a more predictable amount due every month.
For more information, our customer service team is available at 888-286-6700. Thank you for being a valued customer.
- Cleco
To help customers deal with the rippling effects of COVID-19, Cleco is temporarily suspending service disconnects and late fees on customer accounts effective today (3/13) until further notice.
“The well-being of our customers, contractors, employees and the general public is our primary concern as the coronavirus has now reached Louisiana and was recently declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization,” said Ron Smith, director of customer experience. “We don’t want our customers to have to worry about losing electricity and incurring late fees given the importance of electric power in preventing the spread of the virus.”
Cleco offers multiple payment options that don’t require customers to physically go inside a Cleco customer service office or visit an authorized pay agent, including paying bills online, by phone, by mail or dropping payments in the night deposit box located at each customer service office.
Cleco’s self-service options for payments include:
· MyAccount Cleco’s online account management system is available for customers at www.cleco.com.
· KUBRA Cleco’s one-time electronic payment service is available for customers to pay their bill online using a credit card, debit card or electronic check or by telephone at 1-888-909-4639. There is a $2.50 processing fee, and the customer’s Cleco account number and zip code are required to process the payment.
· Mail Cleco’s payment center is available for payments by mail. Customers should mail their payment to Cleco Power LLC, P.O. Box 660228, Dallas, TX 75266-0228.
· Night Deposit/Drop Box Cleco’s customer service offices have a night deposit/drop box customers can use to make a payment during and after hours without physically going into the office.
“We are closely monitoring this virus and following the guidance of our local, state and federal agencies,” said John Melancon, director of corporate safety. “We have a Cleco Pandemic Action Team in place with response plans to ensure we’re able to continue delivering safe, reliable power to our customers.”
- Entergy
Entergy takes the health, safety and security of our employees, customers, communities, business partners and facilities very seriously. We are closely monitoring the situation regarding the potential positive coronavirus cases in the areas we serve and maintain facilities, and we are in close contact with local, state and federal agencies.
Our operations and facilities remain safe, secure and stable, and there is currently no impact on the delivery of energy to our customers. We are confident our business continuity plan, which is specifically designed for these types of situations, will ensure the reliable delivery of electricity and natural gas to customers' homes and businesses as we respond appropriately to any potential risks.
We understand the impact that COVID-19 may have on our customers and are taking steps to support and protect our customers and our workforce, including:
- Temporarily suspending customer disconnects for the next 30 days as we continue to monitor the situation and may extend the period if necessary.
- Educating employees on self-checking for symptoms, practicing social distancing and other good hygiene precautions to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.
- Restricting business travel to countries experiencing widespread community transmission of the COVID-19 virus, and to all nonessential domestic and international business travel by commercial airline and other forms of mass transit.
- Working closely with our suppliers to assess the potential impact to delivery of goods and services to the company
Entergy continues to monitor the situation closely and we are working with public health officials to implement any recommended public health measures as directed. As the situation continues to evolve and new information becomes available, we'll be updating our newsroom site.
- LUS
Lafayette, LA (March 13, 2020) - Lafayette Utilities System is implementing procedures for the safety of our customers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With our customers in mind during this outbreak, LUS will temporarily suspend service disconnects for 60 days but will review the situation and may change the time frame as needed. LUS highly recommends customers continue making payments to have their account remain current.
As the virus is mainly spread from person-to-person, we recommend minimal contact and suggest making payments by mail, online at www.lus.org or by telephone at (337) 291-8280. The Customer Service Call Center will be available to answer any LUS customer questions.
Our LUS Customer Service locations at 1875 W. Pinhook Road and 2701 Moss Street will remain open to walk-in customers and locations will have a drop-box available for check or money order payments (we strongly suggest that you do not drop off cash).
The Moss Street location will still have the drive-thru available for customers Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Slemco
Hurricanes aren't the only thing we plan and prepare for when it comes to your electricity. We plan for those "who would have ever thought" situations, too. Like pandemics. Just so you know, we've beefed up inventory of materials and supplies, in case availability runs low, so we can restore power just like we always do. We're implementing interaction procedures to protect our employees, and our members, from possible transmission of the coronavirus. We've got your back as this situation unfolds. You take care of your family. We'll take care of your power. You'll get a wave or a nod from our employees for the time being though, instead of a handshake or a friendly chat. That's so we can be sure our workers stay healthy and on the job. It also protects you. Goes against our grain, but we all have to do our part to get back to normal.
Disconnections for non-payment are being temporarily suspended. Meters will continue to be read and bills will continue to be sent out. Once the Coronavirus crisis is over, our normal procedures for bills that aren't paid will resume.
Give us a call at 337-896-5384 for general questions. If you need something service related, the number is 337-896-5551. The billing number is 337-896-5200. Outages can be reported by calling 1-888-275-3626.
For more information, visit Slemco's website or follow their Facebook page.
