As the devastation from Hurricane Helene became apparent in the days following the historic storm, Georgia Power quickly moved to suspend disconnections as emergency response efforts ramped up.
The company has recently announced that it is further extending and expanding customer assistance programs with disconnections suspended, late fees waived and overall collection activities paused for residential and business customers through at least Dec. 15.
“We encourage customers to continue paying their bills on their usual billing cycle and avoid falling behind,” said Latanza Adjei, senior vice president of Customer Experience for Georgia Power. “However, we recognize that times are challenging for many Georgians even without the impacts of Helene and we want to support them.”
Georgia Power’s response to Hurricane Helene, one of the most destructive hurricanes in Georgia’s history, involved more than 20,000 personnel, including Georgia Power’s full workforce as well as crews from dozens of other companies around the country.
“Our commitment to customers goes beyond reconnecting power following a storm of this magnitude – we’re focused on helping many of our neighbors as they essentially rebuild their lives and communities,” said Adjei.
As of Oct. 7, Georgia Power stated that the company has safely restored power to more than 1.5 million customers, or 99% of all impacted customers, following the storm.
“Every Customer Experience team member is dedicated to working with customers who may need assistance to help find a solution that works best for them,” said Adjei.
With Hurricane Helene severely impacting several areas, such as Augusta, Savannah, Valdosta and other communities, the Southern Company system – including Georgia Power – is continuing to coordinate and contribute to restoration and relief efforts following the storm.
“On Oct. 4, multiple charitable foundations across the system pledged $3 million to support the recovery effort,” stated a press release from Georgia Power.
Georgia Power is also partnering with nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations to offer assistance programs to those in need year-round.
Popular initiatives include the longstanding Project SHARE program, with the Salvation Army, as well as the recently expanded Income-Qualified Discount, which may amount to $33.50 per month for qualified customers.
Other programs feature Energy Assistance for Savings & Efficiency (EASE), and continued partnerships with community action agencies across Georgia that offer services such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), emergency assistance, home weatherization and more.
For those needing assistance, Georgia Power is encouraging customers to use online tools such as My Power Usage to track and manage energy use, and visit GeorgiaPower.com/MyEnergy to explore all of the tools and resources available from the company to help predict and lower their bill.
