As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause unrest, the Mississippi Public Service Commission has voted to extend an order suspending disconnections of utility services across the state.
During their most recent meeting, the PSC voted to extend their original order, issued on March 15, suspending disconnections of water, sewer, electricity and gas services until May 26th.
“We have asked the utility providers in Mississippi to hold off disconnecting customers who are having trouble making payments for two more weeks,” Chairman Dane Maxwell said. “There are residents of Mississippi who are still being hit hard by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we want to give them some time to get caught up on their bills.”
According to the PSC, utility customers should continue to pay outstanding bills and pay for services provided on time during this period.
“While the public health emergency still reigns, the economic impacts for customers (recurring non-payment) and utilities (reduced revenues) have to be considered as well. This short-term extension should be framed as a transition period for consumers and utilities to work together to find amenable solutions to getting balances reduced and current in a timely fashion. We implore customers to take action and contact their utility companies to avoid disruption to their services following the expiration of this extension,” Maxwell said.
If you are having trouble making payments on your utility bills, the PSC urges you to reach out to your provider directly to see about a payment plan.
During the meeting, the Commission also voted to approve an “interim adjustment” for Entergy customers which, according to the PSC, will result in a decrease of $9.71 per month for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWhr.
