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Covid-19 Statement - Residential - California Water and Electric - Liberty

At Liberty Utilities, delivering electricity, gas, and water safely and reliably to our customers is always our primary goal. With the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, we wanted to provide you with an update on the actions we’re taking across our company to protect the health and safety of our customers and employees and to help ensure that the communities we serve can continue to count on the critical services we provide.

Customer Protections Ending Soon

  • California Electric customers:

Liberty suspended service disconnections due to non-payment and waived late fees on customer accounts in March 2020. This decision was made in order to support our customers experiencing financial difficulty during the COVID-19 crisis. We expect to restart our collections process for past due accounts effective September 30, 2021. This process includes reinstating late fees and could result in service disconnection.

  • California Water customers:

Liberty suspended service disconnections due to non-payment and waived late fees on customer accounts in March 2020. This decision was made in order to support our customers experiencing financial difficulty during the COVID-19 crisis. Liberty expects to restart the collections process for past due accounts effective September 30, 2021, as determined by the California Public Utilities Commission. This process includes reinstating late fees and could result in service disconnection.

 

Supporting our Communities

  • On April 8, 2020, Liberty Utilities announced a $500,000 donation to support communities within its service territories during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are pleased to share with you that several local organizations have been chosen as recipients.

    • Portola Crisis Center
    • Social Services – City of Norwalk
    • Tahoe Magic
    • United Way Inland Empire – Apple Valley
    • The Warming Shelter in High Desert – Apple Valley
    • Covid Mobile Test Sites
    • Feeding America food bank
    • Sierra Community House
    • Bread and Broth

Liberty employees participated in the selection of local organizations that they felt provided much-needed support to our customers and our communities. These organizations hold a special place in the hearts of our employees, and we thank them and so many other deserving organizations for serving our communities in such impactful ways.

 

Resources for residential and business customers facing financial hardship

  • For residents in need of assistance, the United Way 211 program can help match you with local programs including health, nutrition and financial services. Call 211 or

    Learn More   

  • For small businesses needing financial assistance, please contact the Small Business Association. They offer a Payroll Protection Program, Loan Advances, Bridge Loans and Debt Relief.

    Learn More   

  • The CA COVID-19 Rent Relief provides financial assistance to landlords and renters for unpaid rent and utilities. Income-eligible households who have been financially impacted by COVID-19 can now check eligibility and apply by clicking the button below or calling 833-430-2122.

    Learn More  

Liberty Utilities Donates $500,000 to Support Local Communities During COVID-19 Pandemic

  • On April 8, 2020, Liberty Utilities announced a $500,000 donation to support communities within its service territories during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Learn More   

Walk-In Centers Closed

  • For the health and safety of our communities, we are closing our walk-in customer service centers to the public until further notice.  Our teams are also available to take your calls. We recognize that many of our customers are experiencing financial uncertainty. If you are facing a potential hardship, we urge you to call us to discuss payment options and available assistance. We are here to help.

    We know our customers and communities depend on us now more than ever. Rest assured, we take this responsibility to heart. We remain focused on providing safe, reliable energy, water, and wastewater during this very difficult situation. We will continue to update you as things change.

Is My Tap Water Safe from Coronavirus?

  • Your tap water is safe from coronavirus (COVID-19), according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The safeguards Liberty Utilities has always taken to protect water quality are effective to keep it safe from viruses.

    For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website

     

Suspending service disconnections for residential and business customers

  • To assist customers and communities during the rapidly evolving COVID-19 public health emergency, Liberty Utilities has suspended service disconnections for non-payment. This temporary suspension includes residential and business customers.

    We encourage customers who have questions or who may be facing potential hardship to contact our customer service departments. We offer a variety of payment options and can assist customers with payment arrangements should they be needed.

    “We recognize our customers count on the essential services Liberty provides,” said Brent Baker, Liberty Utilities Vice President of Customer Experience Operations. ” With the uncertainty surrounding this virus, we want to ensure our customers have access to the services they need to help maintain their health and safety. “

    Liberty continues to actively monitor the situation, and our teams are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of services to our customers.

     

Supporting the health and safety of our employees

  • We have a pandemic preparedness plan in place and have established a task force that is working with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This task force has spent several weeks preparing for how the virus might impact our organization and the communities we serve, and how to respond appropriately.
  • We continue to monitor the situation and actively share updates and information with our employees so that they can keep themselves and their families safe.
  • We have provided additional protective supplies and equipment to our frontline employees. We have limited employee travel, limited in-person meetings, and postponed larger gatherings and events.
  • To prevent the spread of the virus, we’re encouraging anyone who feels sick or has concerns regarding potential exposure to stay at home.

  

Protecting our customers

  • We have suspended all water conservation and energy efficiency programs in homes and businesses including our water and energy audits. 

  • Our customer walk-in centers are closed, we encourage our customers to utilize our other payment methods available on our website, and to call us with questions at 1-800-727-5987.

View Payment Options  

 

Continuing to deliver safe and reliable service

Utilities must often respond to extreme conditions and disasters. We plan and practice regularly to continue to provide service. We take this responsibility seriously. As part of our pandemic response, we are implementing our emergency plan and quickly adjusting to conditions of the current COVID-19 situation to provide safe and reliable service to our customers and communities. 

Additional Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Learn More  

Covid-19 Statement