Ameren Illinois says it has provided more than $29-million dollars in bill forgiveness in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company says it has worked to significantly reduce or completely eliminate past due bills for more than 26-thousand central and southern Illinois accounts. All available credits were applied to customer accounts on May 2nd to avoid service disconnections.
‘’We understand many customers have experienced very difficult circumstances and economic hardship brought on by the pandemic,’’ said Ameren Chairman and President Richard Mark. He says the company wanted to make sure that as many customers as possible that met the state’s criteria received assistance.
The payments were applied toward utility bills with balances up to $5-thousand dollars where households were slated for service disconnection. It went to customers who had received state energy assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Percentage of Income Payment Plan programs.
Ameren says although all program funds have been exhausted, customers who still need assistance paying their utility bills are encouraged to call Ameren Illinois at 800-755-5000 to discuss options including deferred payment arrangements. Ameren can also help point customers to community assistance agencies who can determine eligibility for further assistance.
The more than $29-million dollars in assistance applied to certain accounts on May 2nd was made possible by the Utility Disconnection Avoidance Program (UDAP), a first-time program developed to help customers during the pandemic. Ameren Illinois collaborated closely with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in order to distribute the credits.
