CPS ENERGY LATE FEE RESOLUTION APPROVED BY SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL
San Antonio – TX – May 21, 2020 – Our People First philosophy is about being there for our customers every single day, and especially when times are challenging. To support our customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 11, 2020, we announced the temporary suspension of energy disconnects, recognizing the economic disruption many of our customers were experiencing as businesses were closed and jobs were lost. We appropriately aligned that decision with the need to waive late fees on unpaid bill balances for customers who participate in a CPS Energy payment plan.
To formally close the loop on our governance during this extended pandemic period, management requested that the CPS Energy Board of Trustees ratify the decision to waive the late fee that is contained in current CPS Energy tariffs, with the condition that each customer establishes a payment plan and make timely payments in accordance with those payment plans during the current disconnection suspension period. This resolution was ratified by our Board at the April 27, 2020 Board meeting. Today, the San Antonio City Council unanimously voted to adopt an ordinance approving the Board’s action.
“We continue to stand ready to help our customers in need with the suspension of disconnects and the waiving of late fees,” said Paula Gold-Williams, President & CEO of CPS Energy. “We thank our Board of Trustees, which includes Mayor Ron Nirenberg, and the San Antonio City Council for approving these measures. Along with providing our customers with information about our assistance programs, we will continue to connect them with partner organizations that can also provide help during this trying time. Additionally, we are also raising funds for our Residential Energy Assistance Partnership (REAP) to help customers pay their bills.”
We at CPS Energy will continue to monitor the local economic impact of COVID-19, while we cautiously remain on our current course as the community reopens for business. We are committed to updating our Board of Trustees and City leadership and will closely monitor reopening activities for a minimum of a 30-day period. At some point in the future, we will also provide an additional 30-day notice period to our customers prior to resuming normal business activity, including when we will necessarily and carefully reactivate disconnection processes.
We urge customers who are experiencing financial hardship to contact us immediately so that we can work together to find a payment plan that works for them. Customers are encouraged to call CPS Energy at 210-353-2222 to discuss options. Participating in a payment plan allows a customer’s applicable late fees to be waived during this pandemic.
CPS Energy has a variety of money-saving and general assistance programs designed to help all customers who are experiencing hardship. For a program list, visit www.cpsenergy.com/assistance or call 210-353-2222 to speak to an Energy Advisor. To make a contactless payment, go online to cpsenergy.com and make a payment through Manage My Account or to pay by phone, call (877) 257-1172. To mail a payment, include your bill and payment to CPS Energy, P.O. Box 2678, San Antonio, TX 78289. While business hours will remain limited from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the transition period, our payment centers remain another way customers can obtain helpful assistance.
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About CPS Energy
Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation’s largest public power, natural gas, and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively-priced service to 860,934 electric and 358,495 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers’ combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation’s 20 largest cities – while generating $8 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio for more than seven decades. As a trusted and strong community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development, and educational investment. True to our People First philosophy, we are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees’ volunteerism in giving back to our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers. CPS Energy is among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in Texas for solar generation.
