Alabama Power is extending its grace period for customers unable to pay their bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic until Sept. 28, and the company announced on Tuesday a new customized payment plan for customers who have fallen behind on their bills during the pandemic.
Following the declaration in March of a state of emergency in Alabama, APCO discontinued interrupting the services of customers who failed to pay, and hasn’t sought to collect payments from past-due customers over the past five months. The company will continue that practice through September.
In the meantime, for customers who have past-due bills or know they will face hardships in paying their full bills each month because of the pandemic, APCO has created a new, customizable payment option that tailors a customer’s monthly bill to a dollar amount that fits within their income.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have been intentional to find new ways we can help support our customers and the communities where we call home,” said APCO spokesperson Danielle Kimbrough. “These payment plans will allow customers to spread out energy bill balances over several months. Most importantly, we want to encourage customers to reach out to us and our customer service teams to talk through our payment assistance options.”
APCO also announced that most customers will receive a $25 credit on their October bills, due to lower-than-expected expenses on fuel. The company also plans to at least partially reopen business offices and appliance centers on Sept. 28. However, customers who need assistance with paying their bills should log onto alabamapower.com or call 1-800-245-2244.
