National Grid Temporarily Suspends Collections-Related Activities to Lessen COVID-19 Hardship on Customers
Company deploys comprehensive pandemic response plan, continues to closely monitor outbreak
WALTHAM, Mass., March 13, 2020 /3BL Media/ - National Grid has temporarily suspended collections-related activities, including service disconnections, to lessen any financial hardship the COVID-19 pandemic may have on our customers. The decision is part of the company’s pandemic preparedness plan, which is designed to mitigate the impact the virus has on our customers, our workforce and our ability to deliver safe, reliable electricity and natural gas to our customers.
“We recognize that this pandemic has brought many challenges for our customers and we want to do our part to lessen any financial impact they may face as the result of the outbreak,” said Badar Khan, National Grid’s Interim U.S. President. “We are committed to our customers’ well-being during this difficult time.” The company’s decision to temporarily suspend service terminations and collections-related activities is effective immediately.
The company also has implemented the following employee-related actions, which will remain in place as we continue to closely monitor the pandemic:
- Limiting external meeting attendance and external visitors at National Grid facilities to operationally critical activities that are required to deliver gas and electricity to our customers.
- Restricting travel between National Grid office locations, except for operationally critical activities.
- Stopping all international business-related travel.
- Elevating the level of cleaning and disinfecting at all company facilities.
“Ensuring the health and safety of our employees and customers is our number one priority,” Khan said. “We have a comprehensive emergency response plan in place to keep the lights on and the gas flowing for our customers. Our pandemic team is meeting daily and we’re closely monitoring all developments associated with this evolving and complex virus.”
Khan noted that the company also is sharing its preparedness plans with regulators, federal, state and local officials, emergency response organizations, customers and other key stakeholders.
“We will continue to closely monitor this situation, review and adjust our policies and ways of working as necessary, and will keep the lines of communications open with our employees, customers and all stakeholders,” he said.
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About National Grid
National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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