COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Utility-Related Information
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create uncertainty and concern for
many utility customers in Alaska, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska’s
Consumer Protection & Information Section wants to ensure that every customer
stays current with their utility bills to maintain their services and avoid late
payment fees.
If you are having trouble making bill payments, contact your utilities. Discuss your
situation and options with them. Many electric, gas, water and wastewater
utilities are continuing to offer payment flexibilities for consumers experiencing
hardship at this time. Help is available through payment plans, deferral
arrangements, and other options. It’s important for customers to pay what they
can and keep in contact with their utilities.
Please contact the Alaska 211, which is
a
one-stop resource for finding help in various communities.
Utility Protections for Customers
Senate Bill 241 (SB 241) expired on November 15, 2020. The moratorium on
disconnection for Residential Utility Service authorized in SB 241 is no longer in
effect and utilities have the right to disconnect due to non-payment in accordance
with its tariff.
If you filled out and signed a COVID-19 Hardship Form and Deferred Payment
Agreement (DPA) with your utility, it is important to stay current on your DPA to
avoid disconnection.
If you do not have a DPA, please contact your public utility to find out if you’re
eligible for one.
Full Text of
Senate Bill 241.
·
Consumer Financial Resources:
Lifeline: a federal program that helps lower the cost of monthly phone or
Internet bill. For more information, including eligibility and ways to apply, click
on this link: Lifeline.
FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program offers a broadband and
device benefit to low-income consumers and those that have suffered a
substantial loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information,
including eligibility and ways to apply, click on this link: EBB
Program. Contact your local EBB provider for more information and to
apply. Click here for a list of participating
providers in Alaska.
·
Beware of Scams:
Please remember to exercise greater care when opening
emails, answering phone calls, or opening doors to scammers posing as
representatives from a utility company or government entity. Scammers are
seeking to use the current COVID-19 situation to their advantage. It is
important that customers call their utilities directly to check on the status of
their accounts if they are unsure about the authenticity of a caller or the
identity of a service worker, or if they suspect any fraudulent activity.
Docket I-20-001 In the Matter of COVID-19 and Public Concerns
During the RCA's public meeting on April 15, 2020, the RCA voted to open
Docket I-20-001 to gather information related to public utilities' actions and
compliance with Senate Bill 241 during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Filings can be accessed by clicking on the "Documents" tab through this link:
Docket I-20-001
In addition, on May 1, 2020, the RCA issued Order U-20-015(1), Order Permitting Deviation
from Tariff Under AS 42.05.711(d).
For recent updates and filings, please refer to these dockets on our website.
Filing an Informal Complaint
If you have an urgent matter (e.g., disconnection of power), please contact us
immediately.
RCA Consumer Protection & Information Section
Tel. No. (907) 276-6222
1-800-390-2782 (outside Anchorage)
Fax: (907) 276-0160
TTY/Alaska Relay: 7-1-1 or 1-800-770-8973
Utility Business Continuity Plans
In the midst of this COVID-19 pandemic, Alaska’s critical infrastructure industries
have taken measures to help slow down the spread of the virus and protect their
employees and customers as much as possible while maintaining services critical
for everyday life. Below are links to regulated and non-regulated public utilities
where you can find summary of actions taken by utilities, including but not limited
to public office closures, suspensions of disconnection, and new protocols for
field employees.
Adak Telephone Utility
Alaska Communications
Alaska Electric Light and
Power
Alaska Power and
Telephone Company
Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Alaska Waste
Anchorage Water and
Wastewater Utility
Arctic Slope
Telephone Association
AT&T
Bristol Bay Telephone
Association
Bush-Tell, Inc.
Chugach Electric Association
College Utilities (Utility
Services of Alaska)
Copper Valley Electric
Association
Copper Valley Telecom
Cordova City Utilities
Doyon Utilities
ENSTAR Natural Gas Company
GCI Communications,
Inc.
Golden Heart Utilities (Utility
Services of Alaska)
Golden Valley Electric
Association
Homer Electric Association
Inn Electric
Cooperative
Inside Passage
Electric Cooperative
Juneau Water and Sewer Utilities
Kenai
City Water and Sewer
Ketchikan Public Utilities
Kodiak Electric
Association
Kotzebue Electric Association
Matanuska Electric Association
Matanuska
Telephone Association
Naknek Electric
Association
Nome Joint Utility Systems
Northern Utility Services
Nushagak Telephone &
Electric Coop
OTZ Telephone Cooperative,
Inc.
Potter Creek Water Company
Seward Public Utilities
Sitka Electric Department
Solid Waste Services
Summit
Telephone Company
TDX Power Utilities
TelAlaska, Inc.
Unalaska Public Utilities
United Utilities,
Inc.
Verizon
Wasilla City Water and Sewer Utilities
Wrangell
Utilities
For questions regarding this webpage, please email rca.mail@alaska.gov.
Date Issued: 1/1/0001