As the devastation from Hurricane Helene became apparent in the days following the historic storm, Georgia Power moved quickly to suspend disconnections as emergency response efforts ramped up. The company announced today that it has further extended and expanded customer assistance programs with disconnections suspended, late fees waived, and overall collection activities paused for residential and business customers through at least December 15, 2024.
“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 Latanza Adjei, senior vice president of Customer Experience for Georgia Power. “We encourage customers to continue paying their bills on their usual billing cycle and avoid falling behind. However, we recognize that times are challenging for many Georgians even without the impacts of Helene and we want to do all we can to support them. 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.”
Georgia Power’s response to the most destructive hurricane in its 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. As of October 7, the company has safely restored power to more than 1.5 million customers, or 99% of all impacted customers, following the storm. Hurricane Helene spared virtually no part of the state and severely impacted areas such as Augusta, Savannah, Valdosta and many other communities.
The Southern Company system, including Georgia Power, also continues to coordinate and contribute to restoration and relief efforts following Hurricane Helene. On October 4, multiple charitable foundations across the system pledged $3 million to support the recovery effort. Read more here.
Programs to Help Customers Manage Energy Costs, Obtain Assistance
Georgia Power partners 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 include 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. Georgia Power encourages 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.
