Ameren suspending power disconnections during winter months

Ameren Illinois, which provides power to most of the areas south and east of the metro Quad Cities, announced a winter shut off moratorium Wednesday by suspending service disconnections for residential customers.

The company said in a news release it made the move “early” because of “temperatures today in the low 30s in several areas of its service territory, colder temperatures forecast the next several weeks and the recent increase in coronavirus cases.”

“Even though we will not disconnect service for non-payment, it is still important for our customers to take action to ensure that they do not accumulate debt that will be too difficult to repay,” said Richard J. Mark, Chairman and President, Ameren Illinois. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have offered temporary relief measures, repayment plans up to two years, and more than $9 million in bill payment assistance. We continue to stress the need for customers experiencing difficulty paying their bills to call us and explore available funding resources and payment arrangements to get back on track.”

In September, Ameren Illinois extended the moratorium on disconnections for customers with adverse health conditions (including a household member recovering from COVID-19), customers who are eligible for assistance from the state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and customers who experiencing hardship caused by COVID-19.

Today’s action extends the disconnection moratorium to all residential customers through March 31, 2021.

More information on the services and programs that are available to help customers impacted by COVID-19 is available at AmerenIllinois.com/Recovery

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