Washington state regulators extend utility disconnection moratorium
The Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission ordered Tuesday that the moratorium on utility disconnections for nonpayment be extended into next year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The commission ordered investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities in Washington to continue a moratorium on disconnections for nonpayment until April 30, 2021,” a UTC press release said. “Also, utilities will continue to waive deposits for new customers and all late fees through Oct. 27, 2021.”
The utilities have to make long-term payment plans with customers — as long as 18 months in some cases — and they have to use 1 percent of their state retail revenue to make a COVID-19 assistance program for customers.
The action comes as Gov. Jay Inslee’s April proclamation banning energy, water, and telecommunication companies from disconnecting customers due to nonpayment was set to expire Oct. 15. A statewide eviction moratorium with the same expiration date has not yet been extended.
“The UTC organized a COVID-19 stakeholder workgroup to facilitate development of guidelines so that customers experiencing economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic maintain access to essential services after the proclamation expires,” the press release said. “The guidelines approved today were submitted by UTC staff in a term sheet, as a culmination of the workgroup’s efforts over the past three months.”
The UTC reported receiving more than 2,000 public comments on this issue.
The UTC’s action puts Washington residents on better financial footing than many across the nation, according to an Oct. 1 report in The Washington Post.
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, many states acted quickly to ensure their residents would not lose their power or other utilities if their jobs or wages were slashed. Now, however, only 21 states and the District of Columbia still have such disconnection bans in place.
That leaves roughly 179 million Americans at risk of losing service even as the economy continues sputtering, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, which is tracking the moratoria.
