PUEBLO, Colo., Aug. 28, 2020 – As some Colorado customers face financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Hills Energy is working to connect them with the assistance they need, including payment options and other resources.

Black Hills Energy proactively suspended nonpayment disconnections and late-payment charges effective March 16, 2020, prior to the statewide moratorium. The company later extended the suspension after the state moratorium expired in mid-June, ensuring no customers were without electric service during the hot months of July and August.

Before resuming standard collection processes on September 8, 2020, Black Hills Energy is conducting outreach to inform and connect customers to energy efficiency programs that can help lower monthly bills and provide information on budget billing, payment plans, payment assistance and medical exemptions. Customers will receive phone calls, mailings and digital communications containing information about solutions and other resources help pay their bills.

“Our hope is our customers have access to the energy they need, which is why we’re taking an individualized approach to outreach and connecting with customers directly, pointing them to programs and options best suited to their needs,”

“Our hope is our customers have access to the energy they need, which is why we’re taking an individualized approach to outreach and connecting with customers directly, pointing them to programs and options best suited to their needs,” said Melanie Jeppesen, director of customer and community solutions at Black Hills Energy. “We’re doing everything we can to connect customers with tools to assist with their bills during the pandemic, especially connecting customers with energy assistance funds. We have also modified some of our policies to assist customers such as budget billing, which was previously available only to customers who were current on their accounts, but we’ve made it available to customers whose payments are past due. We’ve also extended payment arrangement options, making monthly payments more manageable.”

Black Hills Energy has contributed a combined $67,000 to local relief funds across the service territory, as well as almost $57,000 to Energy Outreach Colorado for energy assistance. The company is also participating in business economic recovery collaborations between local government, chambers of commerce and economic development focused agencies to support businesses in accessing resources, in addition to working with other community organizations.

Customers are encouraged to take advantage of the following programs if they are having trouble paying their utility bills:  

• Budget billing is a free, stable payment plan now available to all customers, including those with a past-due balance. It gives customers more predictable bills by averaging the amount you pay each month.
• Payment arrangements provide extended payment terms to help you get back on track. Typically, payment arrangements are limited to six months, but arrangement options have been extended to 12 months during COVID-19.
• Medical extensions offer qualifying residential customers a limited extension of time to pay their utility bills.
• 211.org is a comprehensive source of social services information in the U.S. This free service connects millions of people to help in meeting essential needs.
• Energy Outreach Colorado may be able to help you pay your past due energy bills. Contact them by calling 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) or learn more at energyoutreach.org. 

To learn more about what the company is doing to assist customers, please visit blackhillsenergy.com/COVID-CO or call us at 888-890-5554 to discuss options that may be available for you.