Natural gas company Spire on Wednesday announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic its employees would now only do essential work, and disconnections and late fees for customers have been suspended until at least May 1.
“If you’re worried about your natural gas bill, please give us a call. We’re always here for you, ready to work with you on finding the best solution for your situation,” The company said in a statement.
Spire’s full statement:
To all those we serve,
As your local natural gas provider, we’ve been closely monitoring the evolving coronavirus events across the communities we serve—because we believe nothing is more important than your safety and the safety of Spire employees. This holds true whether we’re delivering energy to homes and businesses or doing our part in preventing the spread of the virus.
And that balance of delivering reliable energy while helping our communities stay safe is incredibly important right now, because we’re considered an essential utility and part of our nation’s vital energy infrastructure.
As an “essential service” designated by government authorities, we’ll continue to operate even under a state of emergency and any shelter in place orders.
So, when you see our field technicians working, know that we’re there to provide you with the energy you need to cook homemade dinners and warm your homes while our communities shelter in place.
Simply put, these are uncertain times. And as we face them together, your trust in us is important.
So, I’d like to share with you what we’ve been doing to take action and care for each other and all those we serve.
For you, our customers
We’ve adjusted the services we provide, performing only essential work. This will help protect both you and our team members as we continue to closely monitor developments. The CDC is regularly updating their guidelines and best practices, and we are following these guidelines carefully.
We’ve officially suspended late fees, disconnection notices and disconnections until at least May 1. If you’re worried about your natural gas bill, please give us a call. We’re always here for you, ready to work with you on finding the best solution for your situation.
We’ve provided field employees with the tools they need to do their jobs, requiring everyone to maintain social distancing and safety guidelines provided by the CDC. And, we’ve increased the frequency of deep cleanings of our equipment and at our facilities.
For our employees
Because we live and work in the communities we serve, caring for our employees has an impact on our communities at large. That’s why we:
- Enacted our preparedness response plan, which defines how we adjust the service we provide in response to the changing situation
- Canceled all travel and events
- Provided emergency leave for employees who are unable to work from home and are quarantined, caring for a loved one who is quarantined or taking care of a child or family member because of coronavirus-related school and child care facility closures
- Ensured all employees who can work from home do so
As an essential service that you depend on, we’ll continue to monitor our processes as the situation evolves. And, if you’d like more information about all we’re doing to keep Spire employees and communities safe, visit us 24/7 at SpireEnergy.com/Coronavirus.
Through it all, our promise to you is that we’re focused on the safety and well-being of those we serve.
We’re in this together.
