Hawaiian Electric Extends Moratorium on Service Disconnections Through June 30

PC: Hawaiian Electric Companies

Hawaiian Electric has suspended service disconnections for nonpayment through June 30 to ensure customers’ electricity needs are met as stay-at-home orders are extended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The company says customers should NOT worry about their power being shut off due to nonpayment through the end of June, and any threat of immediate disconnection unless payment is made received before June 30 should be treated as a scam.

Customers experiencing financial hardship because of the pandemic are urged to contact Hawaiian Electric to discuss payment arrangements and options.

Hawaiian Electric continues its modified operations on Oʻahu, Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island to reduce the potential spread of coronavirus, which includes extending the closure of its walk-in payment centers through June 30. Here are some updates provided by the company:

• To ensure electric service is not disrupted, Hawaiian Electric has postponed projects and work that would require customer outages, unless it is deemed critical for safety or reliability. Emergency work, including outage restoration and repairs to ensure public safety such as replacing damaged poles, remains a priority.
• Meter reading has been scaled back since late March. While meters for commercial accounts are being read, bills for residential accounts may have been estimated based on the previous month’s usage. Plans call for resuming residential meter reading in the coming weeks, and residents are asked to please kōkua and practice social distancing for the safety of our community and our employees. With most households adhering to stay-at-home orders, residential customer bills may be higher once their meters are read and bills reflect actual electricity usage.
• Customers who are having difficulty paying their electric bill are urged to contact Customer Service so payment options and schedules can be arranged to help keep payments manageable. While customers will still be responsible for paying their electric bills, payment schedules and other options can help ease the financial challenges for those most affected by the COVID-19 situation. The quickest way to start the process is to fill out and submit a Payment Arrangement Request Form at https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/customerserviceoptions.
• Households in need of utility payment assistance that meet the 60 percent state median gross annual income limit (individual, $30,767, and for a family of four, $59,167) may be eligible for up to $1,000 of LIHEAP COVID-19 Disaster Energy Crisis Intervention Assistance. Visit the appropriate agency website for more details: Honolulu Community Action Program www.hcapweb.org; Maui Economic Opportunity www.meoinc.org; or Hawaiʻi County Economic Opportunity Council hceoc.net.
• If you need assistance managing your energy costs during this time, Hawaiʻi Energy is a trusted resource for tips and rebates to help offset the costs of energy-saving equipment and services. For more information, please visit https://hawaiienergy.com/tips or call (808) 537-5577.