CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of the nation’s largest power companies says it will waive late fees and fees for returned payments until the state of emergency is lifted.

Effective Saturday, March 21, Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas say in addition to the waived late and return payment fees, residential customers will also have fees for credit and debit card payments waived.

It was previously announced the companies would not cut customers’ power off for nonpayment since some people could be facing unusual financial hardship. Additionally, the companies say some employees can receive cash payments to offset virus-related expenses.

"We will continue to look for ways to support customer needs during the pandemic," the company tweeted. This comes just after Charlotte Water and Raleigh Water say they plan to do the same.

The plan will impact homes and businesses in the following states:

Florida

Indiana

Kentucky

North Carolina

Ohio

South Carolina

Tennessee

Additional information and details released Saturday include:

More Help for Customers

The company will waive late payment fees and fees for returned payments for its millions of electric and natural gas customers across its service territories beginning Saturday, March 21 until the national state of emergency is lifted. For residential customers, the company will also waive fees for credit and debit card payments.

Last week, Duke Energy said it would discontinue service disconnections for unpaid bills. That covers 7.8 million electric customers; plus, 1.8 million natural gas customers, many of whom are served by Piedmont Natural Gas.

“Our goal is to continue providing reliable service while helping our most vulnerable customers during this extraordinary time,” Good said.

Community Assistance

The company also announced $1.3 million in donations by The Duke Energy Foundation to support hunger relief and help local health and human services nonprofits across its service territories, including those providing meals to children and families impacted by school closures. Given the unprecedented nature of the situation, Duke Energy is giving nonprofits the flexibility to use the funds where most needed.

Relief for Employees

To aid in providing continued service to our customers through this event, Duke Energy will also expand assistance to employees, in order to maintain the highest level of service to customers. This is part of the company’s larger donation.

The company is providing five additional personal days off to employees who experience a disruption in dependent care due to school, daycare or other child-related care – as most all schools are not in session. Duke Energy will also provide a $1,500 stipend to assist with unplanned expenses resulting from costs related to COVID-19 issue.

As part of the company’s larger donation, for Duke Energy employees, the company is donating $100,000 to the Relief4Employees program, which is a fund that employees can draw on for short term financial help during times of personal need.

Continued service to customers

The company will continue to read meters in most areas and send bills. Customers should pay what they can to avoid building up large balances that will be more difficult to pay off later.

Duke Energy power plants, electricity and natural gas delivery facilities and call centers, are staffed, ensuring dependable service to customers. The company will continue to respond to power outages and other emergencies.

Customers should download the company’s mobile app or visit duke-energy.com or piedmontng.com for information and most service transactions. Customers who are unable to self-serve can still contact the company: