TALLADEGA, Ala. – In an effort to continue to provide its consumers relief during the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown of many employers, Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative, has extended its policy to suspend cutoffs for nonpayment of bills.
“For the past month, we have suspended cutoffs,” said Leland Fuller, CVEC General Manager. “At this time we feel it necessary to extend that practice for at least another month.”
CVEC’s management team and Board of Trustees agreed to extend the suspension of cutoffs for nonpayment as well as waive late fees for all consumers until May 13. At that time, Cooperative officials will again re-evaluate the situation.
“Electric cooperatives are owned and governed by the members they serve,” Mr. Fuller said. “We are here to help promote the health and well-being of our members through the delivery of reliable, affordable electric service. We understand that many of our consumers are out of work. We have to do what we can to make sure they still have electricity in their homes during these unprecedented times.”
Cooperative officials urge consumers to continue making payments on their bills if they are able. Accounts will still be billed as normal during this time and will still accrue a balance based on usage just as they normally would. Consumers who subscribe to the SmartPay program will still receive all normal notifications and alerts. When the COVID-19 crisis has passed, consumers will still be responsible for paying for the electricity they have used.
Cooperative officials have been monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak and have taken steps to help ensure their employees stay healthy and ready to respond.
“We closed our office to all visitors, and we are performing a daily deep sanitary cleaning,” Mr. Fuller said. “Fortunately, we have made investments in technology and practices that allow us to conduct business with existing and potential consumers without them having to come in to our office. We are still here. We will continue working to ensure our consumers have reliable, affordable service.”
Applications for services may be completed online at www.coosavalleyec.com, over email at [email protected] and over the telephone at 1-800-273-7210, option 3.
Payments may be made by mail, online, over the telephone, through the CVEC Connect smartphone app, at any MoneyGram location in the United States and at the Cooperative’s drive-thru.
Coosa Valley Electric, which serves nearly 17,000 consumers in Talladega, St. Clair, Shelby, Clay, Etowah and Calhoun counties, is a Touchstone Energy® cooperative. Nationwide, some 1,000 cooperatives provide power to rural America, and more than 700 of those are members of Touchstone Energy.
