Moratorium on Disconnections for Nonpayment of Electric Bills Extended to Sept. 1

Hawaiian Electric will extend the moratorium on disconnections for nonpayment through Sept. 1, and urges customers who are having difficulty paying their bill to contact the company well before September to consider payment options.

Hawaiian Electric suspended collection efforts in March to ensure customers’ electric service was not disrupted during COVID-19-related orders to stay at home. On Friday, the Public Utilities Commission gave utilities the option to hold off disconnections through Sept. 1.

Hawaiian Electric wants to work with Oʻahu, Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island customers with past due accounts to find the best options to make their payments manageable. While customers are responsible for paying their bills, a variety of public and nonprofit assistance, and Hawaiian Electric payment arrangements are currently available as a result of COVID-19.

Additional payment arrangement options for customers are in the works and will become available in mid-July. The company website provides useful, up-to-date information for both residential and business customers:

• Residential customers can visit www.hawaiianelectric.com/paymentassistance to check whether they qualify for programs available to households experiencing financial strain.
• For commercial customers, go to www.hawaiianelectric.com/businesscustomerupdate for programs geared to help businesses.
• Hawaiian Electric’s Payment Arrangement Request Form, which is the quickest way to start the payment arrangement process, is available at the above-listed URLs.

The company’s walk-in payment centers remain closed, but there are several payment methods available to customers.

Visit www.hawaiianelectric.com/paymentoptions for payment methods. Customers who prefer to pay in person may do so at no charge at many convenient Western Union payment locations in grocery stores and other retailers throughout Hawaiian Electric’s service territory. The company website provides a list of locations.

For assistance managing energy costs, Hawaiʻi Energy is a trusted resource for tips and rebates to help offset the costs of energy-saving equipment and services. Visit https://hawaiienergy.com/tips for more information.