Piedmont Natural Gas is resuming standard billing practices in the coming weeks in its service territories in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, offering plans and flexible options to help customers who are behind on their utility payments. Service disconnections for nonpayment will continue to be suspended until October 2020.

"Piedmont's return to standard business practices reflects the hardships some of our customers still face," said Sasha Weintraub, senior vice president for Piedmont Natural Gas. "By offering flexible plans for past-due balances, we want to put our customers first and make it easier for them to get back on track."

Customers can sign up for payment arrangements now in South Carolina and Tennessee, and enrollment will be made available in North Carolina beginning in September. Options and information specific to each state are outlined at Piedmont's COVID-19 Response.

"We're asking customers with a past-due balance to contact us now to establish a plan and mitigate potentially more significant financial challenges in the future," said Mia Haynes, vice president of customer care for Piedmont Natural Gas. "In addition to the extended payment plans Piedmont is offering, customers can explore other financial support options from one of several nonprofit and community agencies in our service territories."

Haynes urges customers to visit piedmontng.com or call Piedmont at 800.752.7504 as soon as possible to learn about available resources and set up a payment plan for their past-due balance.

When the pandemic first began, Piedmont took swift action to help customers by suspending key credit processes, halting disconnections for nonpayment, and eliminating late payment fees and third-party fees for credit card and other payments. Since March of this year, Piedmont and its parent company Duke Energy have donated $6 millionfor COVID-19 relief efforts, offering support for our customers and communities.

Additional resources for financial support:

• Business customers: piedmontng.com/Extension

• Residential customers: piedmontng.com/ExtraTime

• 211.org

• Helps customers find local community agencies providing assistance with a wide range of needs.

• Share the Warmth

• Assists families with their utility bills, no matter the source of energy they use.

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

• Helps low-income households, with special attention to households that spend a high percentage of their total income on home energy.

Customers with past-due balances who do not contact Piedmont to establish a payment arrangement will be subject to disconnection for nonpayment. These customers will receive notices in their October bill specifying the earliest possible date their natural gas service could be disconnected for nonpayment.