DOMINION SAYS POWER WON’T BE CUT OFF

State-ordered freeze on disconnections ended Monday

Dominion Energy will not start cutting off power to people behind with their bills, even though state regulators say utilities may do so now.

The electric monopoly said its aim is to help customers trying to cope with the pandemic and its financial hit to family and business budgets.

The State Corporation Commission ordered a freeze on disconnections in March, and has extended it several times. But the freeze expired at midnight Monday, after the SCC warned that an open-ended moratorium isn’t sustainable, because it would shift the cost to customers who are paying their bills.

The General Assembly’s special session is considering requiring utilities to develop emergency repayment plans for bills that weren’t paid during a freeze or state of emergency — the idea is to stretch out repayments so they are affordable while making sure the utilities are paid for their service.

Dominion halted disconnections and is giving customers up to 12 months, which began June 15, to pay any unpaid charges.

“Dominion Energy supports the General Assembly’s proposed approach to extending the moratorium on disconnects and will NOT disconnect any Virginia customers for nonpayment while waiting for the General Assembly’s final actions to take effect,” the company said in a written statement.

Dominion halted disconnections several days before the SCC’s first order freezing cutoffs. It also is giving customers up to 12 months, which began June 15, to pay down any unpaid charges. No minimum payment is required.

The utility said it has expanded assistance and eligibility for EnergyShare, its bill assistance program that helps those facing hardship.

It added $500,000 to EnergyShare, bringing the total for this year to $13.5 million, and increased the benefit for the summer air conditioning season from $300 to $600 per account.

Dominion set up a $500,000 Small Business Relief Program, which offers one-time assistance of up to $1,000 toward bills that small businesses, nonprofits, and houses of worship accrued during the pandemic.

In the first three months of the disconnection freeze, Dominion Energy delivered $116.6 million worth of electricity to customers who haven’t been able to pay their bills, an SCC survey reported. That amounts to about 6% of its Virginia and North Carolina electric revenue for the financial quarter ended June 30.