Electrical and water utilities serving millions of people in Arkansas have pledged that they will not disconnect customers who are unable to pay their bills for the foreseeable future during the coronavirus pandemic.
Utilities nationwide have promised to keep the lights on and water flowing even if customers do not pay their bills as the U.S. braces for an increasing number of confirmed covid-19 patients.
On Saturday, Entergy — the largest electrical provider in Arkansas, with approximately 700,000 customers — announced that it will not cut off power to customers for non-payment of bills. Other utilities in Arkansas, including Central Arkansas Water, the North Little Rock Electric Department and natural-gas provider CenterPoint Energy, have followed suit.
Central Arkansas Water (CAW), which serves approximately 450,000 customers in Arkansas, worked over the weekend to restore service to customers whose water had been cut off previously, the utility said in a statement on Saturday. Customers were not charged turn-on fees.
CAW will keep water service running for all residential customers “to keep our customers safe amid concerns over the covid-19 pandemic,” and the utility referenced the importance of frequent hand-washing to prevent the spread of the disease. However, water usage charges will continue to accrue during this period and past due amounts will remain due, the utility said in the statement.
CAW on Monday was fielding calls from customers asking to have their water restored, and the utility has prioritized those work orders to get their water turned on as soon as possible, CAW spokesman Douglas Shackelford said. The water restoration is for residential customers only, according to Shackelford.
Customers whose water has not been restored are encouraged to call the CAW customer service department. Although the utility’s customer service lobby remains open, CAW is discouraging customers from paying their bills in person and has asked them to pay electronically or by mail if possible.
CAW told residents last week that covid-19 cannot be contracted through drinking water due to the water treatment process.
Houston-based CenterPoint energy, which provides natural gas service to about 400,000 Arkansans, said on Monday that it, too, will suspend customer disconnections.
A company spokesman, Ross Corson, told the Democrat-Gazette via email that the suspension remains in place until further notice “based on continuing evaluation of the Coronavirus situation.”
A group of 17 electric cooperatives in Arkansas have vowed to maintain power to customers and have implemented a pandemic plan, but individuals with concerns about bill payment should contact their local cooperative, according to the Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC).
AECC spokesman Rob Roedel said member distribution cooperatives within the AECC have the autonomy to make their own decisions during a situation like the covid-19 outbreak.