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 The voluntary moratorium on residential
disconnections applies to customers of Ameren Illinois, ComEd,
Liberty Utilities, Nicor, North Shore and Peoples Gas, providing
greater protection to all residential customers than the statutory
winter rules scheduled to take effect on December 1, 2020.
“Difficult times lie ahead in Illinois as we are experiencing a
dangerous second wave of COVID-19 cases. 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,” said Illinois Commerce Commission Chairman
Carrie K. Zalewski. “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. I commend the utility companies who have stepped up to provide
this needed protection for all of their residential customers.”
In a normal year, the winter rules do not apply to water utilities.
This year, Aqua Illinois, Illinois American Water and Utility
Services of Illinois have agreed to cease disconnections of
participants in the State’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP) or Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) and
those who self-report to the utility that they are suffering
financial or COVID-19 related hardship until March 31, 2021.
For this protection, it is critical that LIHEAP
and PIPP customers proactively contact their water utility to let
them know about their status as participants in those programs.
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Likewise, all other water customers who are
struggling with hardships during the pandemic must contact the water
utility to self-report that hardship status in order to avoid
disconnection.
Stipulated agreements reached between the utilities,
consumer advocate groups and the ICC have also put into place bill
payment assistance programs and extended deferred payment
arrangements (DPAs) that vary by utility. Through December 26, 2020,
residential customers can enter into longer DPAs with smaller down
payments. To receive assistance benefits and to prevent
disconnection, customers need to act quickly by calling the utility
and verbalizing their hardship situation.
For more information about LIHEAP and PIPP eligibility and how to
apply, visit the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity Utility Assistance page at
https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/
CommunityServices/UtilityBill
Assistance/Pages/default.aspx/.
For information about the ICC’s response to COVID-19, visit
https://www.icc.
illinois.gov/home/covid-19.
[Text from file received from
]
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