BENTONVILLE -- Fayetteville officials gave a simple reason why they aren't disconnecting water customers for delinquent accounts.

"We want everyone to be able to wash their hands frequently, as well as water for cleaning and laundry to prevent the further spread of covid-19," said Tim Nyander, city utilities director. "We can pick back up after this thing passes."

The new coronavirus, covid-19, is a respiratory illness declared a pandemic worldwide. One of the preventive measures recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is frequent handwashing.

Fayetteville's policy will be in place until further notice, Nyander said.

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In nearby states such as Mississippi, Kansas and Louisiana, utility regulators have issued orders mandating providers within their jurisdiction stop customer disconnections for the time being.

The Arkansas Public Service Commission, which sets rates for public utilities providing electricity, water and other services, hasn't issued an similar order because utilities in Arkansas have taken the initiative to suspend disconnections on their own, according to Donna Gray, the commission's executive director.

Cities step up

Utility companies in Northwest Arkansas have altered policies during the covid-19 outbreak to help to customers in need.

Bentonville, in an email sent to customers, said disconnections for nonpayment of electric and water would be postponed through March 31. The city later will evaluate if an extension is needed, said Debbie Griffin, community relations and economic development director.

Rogers Water Utilities has stopped all water service disconnections and reinstated services to those disconnected because of nonpayment, according to a news release. No timeline has been set for when those measures will change, said Jene Huffman-Gilreath, utilities shared services manager.

Rogers partners with Our Healthy Communities to provide assistance to customers struggling to make water utility payments through Help to Others. The program allows city utilities customers to contribute a set additional amount on their monthly payment to go directly to assisting other Rogers water customers in need, according to the release.

Heath Ward, executive director of Springdale Water Utilities, said the utility's intent is to avoid shutting off water for individuals who can't pay.

"There is a public health problem right now," Ward said. "They will be expected to pay their bill in full at some point, though."

Siloam Springs Utilities will waive late fees for amounts due through March 30 and won't shut off services through April 10, according to the city website.

Utilities assist

Black Hills Energy, a natural gas company, is temporarily stopping nonpayment disconnections for customers, according to its website. The company offers various assistance options such as payment arrangements, budget billing and medical extensions, according to the website.

Carroll Electric Cooperative will not do delinquent disconnects all next week, Cory Smith, director of corporate relations, said. No disconnects were made this week in light of changing events, he said.

Because Carroll Electric's lobby areas are closed for health and safety concerns, the company is refunding online and over-the-phone payment fees beginning March 17, when the lobbies were closed to the public, and until the lobby areas are opened, Smith said.

The decision on whether to restart disconnects will be made on a week-to-week basis as the covid-19 situation progresses, he said.

The cooperative will be flexible to those adversely impacted by the crisis, but it's in the best interest of customers to contact Carroll Electric before the due date on their bill and establish some type of payment arrangement, he said.

Carroll Electric also is directing customers who need help paying their electric bill to organizations in the service area providing payment assistance, Smith said.

Ozarks Electric Cooperative stopped disconnecting customers for nonpayment March 16 and will continue through April 15, said Ashley Harris, vice president, marketing and communications for the company.

OzarksGo will not cut service for nonpayment for the next 60 days through May 15, Harris said. OzarksGo offers internet, television and phone service.

Steve Bandy, general manager of OzarksGo, said they're temporarily doubling the speed of the company's basic internet plans from 100 Mbps to 200 Mbps, which means megabits per second.

"As more and more of our customers are working, studying and seeking entertainment at home during the coronavirus pandemic, we realize that high-speed, reliable access to the internet is more important than ever," Bandy said.

Southwestern Electric Power Co. has temporarily stopped disconnections of service for nonpayment, according to its website. The company hasn't determined when service disconnections will resume, according to a frequently asked questions section on its website.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric, which serves Fort Smith in addition to much of Oklahoma, announced in a March 14 tweet the company will not disconnect customers for 30 days.

Carl Geffen, Fort Smith city administrator, said Tuesday the city has stopped water disconnections and may temporarily not charge late fees. The city doesn't have a timeline for how long that will last.

AT&T announced it was lifting broadband use caps for home internet customers. That means no overage fees while people are home using more data. The company is keeping its public WiFi hot spots open for anyone who needs them, according to a letter posted on the website from Jeff McElfresh, chief executive officer of AT&T Communications.

The company will continue to offer internet access for qualifying limited-income households at $10 a month through the Access from AT&T program, according to the website.

The company won't terminate service of any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer because of an inability to pay their bill as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The company is waiving late payment fees for those customers, according to the website.

Cox Communications announced Monday new plans for residential customers that include offering a low-income internet tier with no annual contract and relaxing data use overage charges for all tiers. Those offers would run through May 15, according to the company website.

The company also announced its pledge to support the Federal Communications Commission's Keep America Connected initiatives by not terminating service to any residential or small business customer because of an inability to pay due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Cox will waive late fees residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the virus and will open Cox WiFi outdoor hot spots, according to the company website.

NW News on 03/21/2020