Coronavirus Update: Powering Through

We stand ready to help customers affected by this pandemic with payment extensions, bill discount programs and referrals to short-term assistance providers. TEP also placed all residential customers with overdue balances on an extended 8-month payment arrangement after January 18, 2021 to give them extra time to pay off their balance in full. We suspended service disconnections and late fees throughout 2020. Almost a full year after suspending disconnections as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, TEP in March 2021 resumed that step as a last resort for accounts with overdue balance

Payment Extensions – Customers may request a payment extension through My Account on tep.com, by using TEP’s mobile app or by calling TEP Customer Care at 520-623-7711. Unpaid bills are considered delinquent after 30 days, but TEP is waiving late fees during the pandemic.

Lifeline – Our low-income assistance program provides $18 monthly discounts to qualifying customers. The program is currently available to residential customers whose household incomes do not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, but that cap is being lifted to 200 percent to allow more customers to qualify for assistance.

Short-term assistance – Qualifying low-income customers can request direct bill-payment assistance from the following local community agencies:

• Interfaith Community Services
• Pima County Community Action Agency
• Portable Practical Educational Preparation
• The Salvation Army of Green Valley

Budget Billing – It can be easier to pay your bill if you know what to expect. Our Budget Billing program divides your estimated annual electric bill into 12 monthly payments so that you pay the same amount each month.

Some customers using TOU or demand-based plans are concerned that staying home during the pandemic will increase their energy costs. We’re happy to help customers switch to our Basic plan if they have this concern, and anyone who does so during the pandemic will have the option to return to their previous pricing plan at any time. If you’d like to change plans, simply call TEP Customer Care at 520-623-7711. Please be aware that our Basic plan has higher energy charges than our TOU or demand-based plans, and switching might not result in lower bills. To learn more about our pricing plans, visit tep.com/rates.

Customers with overdue balances on their accounts will receive a notice on their bill, a letter from TEP and an email notice. They may also receive a personal call from a TEP Customer Service Representative.

Customers can access their billing information by visiting My Account or by using the TEP mobile app. Their account records will show the balance due and due date, previous payments and energy usage. You can also call us directly at 520-623-7711.

TEP will never demand immediate payment or credit card information, or threaten an immediate service disconnection for nonpayment. Will also will never demand payment in the form of pre-paid credit or gift cards. If you receive such a demand over the phone, just hang up – it’s a scam. Customers with concerns about whether the calls they receive are legitimate are encouraged to call TEP Customer Care directly at 520-623-7711.

TEP is taking proactive steps to support public health and ensure the continued availability of safe, reliable energy amid escalating concern about the COVID-19 coronavirus.

As a provider of a critical service, TEP is vigilant about potential public health threats. In addition to reviewing our own systems and supplies, we’re coordinating with state and local authorities and complying with directives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Like many employers, we’ve taken action to limit unnecessary risks of exposure, including restricting travel, canceling less-critical gatherings and requiring sick employees to remain home in line with CDC guidelines. We know we play a critical role in our community and are prepared to continue in that capacity through any contingency that may arise.

Our customer service representatives remain available to provide assistance as needed, and our crews are still on the job, ensuring that our system remains up and running. We’ve stocked up on critical materials where appropriate, reviewed our supply chains and made sure our power plant technicians, system operators and other critical teams are well prepared for potential problems.

We continue to maintain our local grid following scheduled upgrades and improvements. We’re also adhering to our construction schedules to ensure service to new developments and subdivisions are energized. We continue to accept requests for new service and line extensions. Our priority always will be maintaining current operations and providing reliable service.

Our crews continue to work out in the field because maintaining reliable service is critical to our community during this public health crisis. We are prioritizing jobs to focus on work that supports reliability both now and during the summer months, when the demand for energy is the highest.

We’re also continuing meter upgrades to improve our system’s remote communications capabilities, an enhancement that’s more important than ever during a public health crisis.  Our new meters let us know instantly if service has been interrupted, helping us restore service more quickly.

Much of our work can be completed without having to enter homes and businesses. If we must interact with customers, our employees take the necessary precautions to protect public health.