Moratorium on disconnections extended

Hawaiian Electric announced Tuesday that service disconnections for nonpayment have been suspended through Dec. 31.

The move follows the Public Utilities Commission on Monday ordering utilities extend the moratorium on service disconnections through the end of the year.

Hawaiian Electric said it voluntarily suspended its collection efforts in March to ensure customers’ electric service would not be disrupted while many were staying home.

“The PUC subsequently ordered all utilities to suspend disconnections and Hawaiian Electric has since been following with the commission’s orders and timing for the disconnection moratorium,” the company said in a press release.

The order also notes that “customers should continue paying their bills to the extent possible during this time, noting that customers will still ultimately be responsible for paying Utility service billings accrued during this suspension.”

Hawaiian Electric urges customers challenged by the financial impact of COVID-19 to seek utility bill assistance from government and nonprofits, and to set up a payment arrangement plan.

“Regardless of the date of the moratorium, we want to ensure that customers facing financial hardship are able to take advantage of the CARES funding that is set to expire at the end of the year and that we can help them make their payments more manageable,” said Shelee Kimura, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president of customer service. “We need to hear from customers in order to help them.”

The company’s walk-in payment centers remain closed until further notice. Payments can be made online or in person at a Western Union payment location.

For more information, visit www.hawaiianelectric.com.