AUGUSTA — Central Maine Power Company announced that it is suspending late payment and customer reconnection charges for all customers and is seeking to extend protections to eligible customers participating in certain payment plans, according to a news release.

The company is also deploying lineworkers to patrol all circuits that serve hospitals and other critical care facilities to help prevent any service interruptions while the need for medical assistance could be greatest, the release said. 

“We are focused on ensuring continuity of the essential service we provide; specifically, we are working to prevent any disruption in service to critical facilities like hospitals, urgent care offices, and even food distribution centers.” said David Flanagan, Executive Board Chairman of CMP.

The company filed a request with the Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) to address the temporary payment plan adjustments, the release noted.

It also advised, according to the release, the MPUC that it would suspend late payment charges and reconnection charges — typically charged to customers moving into an existing location with CMP — for the duration of the moratorium period announced Monday by the Commission, during which no state utilities may disconnect customers.

“We are also very conscious of the financial impact of this pandemic,” said Flanagan. “We believe that a temporary adjustment to the payment plans that allows eligible customers to remain in those plans longer than is typical is the right thing to do in the current circumstances. We can extend special consideration to customers who are making a good faith effort to pay their bills in these extraordinarily difficult times.”

Specifically, CMP has requested, the release said, eligible low-income customers who participate in the company’s Arrearage Management Program (AMP), who are striving to pay down accounts that are in arrears, not be terminated from the program in the event of missed payments.

Earlier this week, CMP and Public Advocate Barry Hobbins asked the MPUC to extend the period in which winter disconnection rules apply shortly before the MPUC issued its similar order for all Maine utilities.

CMP encourages any customer who is challenged to pay their electric bills to call the company to discuss possible sources of assistance and individual payment arrangements, the release said.

This week, CMP is actively dedicating its lineworkers to carefully patrolling those electric circuits that serve medical and other critical facilities, per the release.

While the company follows a dedicated five-year trimming program across all its service territory to reduce outages that can be caused by overhanging trees and limbs, the line staff is checking to ensure there are no obstacles that could cause outages to a major facility.

CMP is committed to providing reliable service while keeping employees and customers safe and is implementing appropriate health and safety protocols, the release stated.

In addition to ensuring that all employees are practicing hygiene and social distancing recommendations from national and state public health officials, the company has restricted visitors from entering facilities, has provided support needed to enable some office staff to work from home, and can provide in-house accommodations such as food and cots so that employees who perform critical functions can remain at work if necessary.

The company will continue to implement contingency measures as required to ensure employee and customer safety and service reliability.