July 30, 2020 – Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) is offering additional payment options for business and residential customers who are behind on their energy bills during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We understand that many customers are experiencing financial hardship during the pandemic, and we have added flexible bill payment options, including extended payment plans, to help customers get back on track,” said Paul Pratt, SWEPCO director of Customer Services and Marketing. “We encourage customers to contact us so that we can work together to find solutions that fit their needs.”
SWEPCO temporarily suspended disconnections for non-payment in March.
For business customers in Louisiana and Texas, SWEPCO has resumed disconnections for non-payment. The company had extended its suspension into mid-July as it continued to reach out and enroll customers in payment plans.
SWEPCO expects to resume residential customer disconnections for non-payment Aug. 6 in Louisiana and Sept. 1 in Texas, working in conjunction with state regulatory moratoriums. A state moratorium remains in effect in Arkansas.
Before any customers are disconnected for non-payment, they will have received multiple notices and opportunities to enroll in payment arrangements.
“Taking action now can help keep balances and bills manageable, and keep electric service connected,” Pratt said.
Customers may set up payment arrangements by contacting SWEPCO at:
- SWEPCO.com/Assist
- Customer Solutions Center – 1-877-446-7211
- Facebook.com/SWEPCO or @SWEPCOnews on Twitter
SWEPCO also has a team dedicated to helping small business customers apply for federal relief programs and make payment arrangements. This includes the recent extension of the federal Paycheck Protection Plan. Business customers can reach a solutions specialist at 1-888-776-1368 and learn more at AEP.com/SmallBusinessAssistance.
About Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO)
SWEPCO, an American Electric Power (AEP: NYSE) company, serves more than 536,300 customers in western Arkansas, northwest and central Louisiana, northeast Texas and the Texas Panhandle. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. News releases and other information about SWEPCO can be found at SWEPCO.com. Connect with us at Facebook.com/SWEPCO, Twitter.com/SWEPCOnews, Instagram.com/swepco, Youtube.com/SWEPCOtv and SWEPCOConnections.com.
About American Electric Power (AEP)
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP’s approximately 17,400 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 221,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 5,200 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners, and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.
