Energy Sector Employees Designated Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce
SAN DIEGO, March 20, 2020 – With California Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order calling for all individuals living in California to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced today several steps the company has taken to protect the health and well-being of its employees, customers, and communities and to maintain service reliability.
“We have a special responsibility to continue our operations in challenging times like these and the last thing we want our customers to worry about is having essential services like electricity and natural gas,” said SDG&E Chief Operating Officer Caroline Winn. “SDG&E has robust contingency plans in place to maintain reliable service and our highly skilled and dedicated employees will see our community through this crisis. The energy industry has a lot of real-world experience managing crises, and while COVID-19 is different, we are well prepared and here for you.”
The company has taken several steps in recent days in response to support its employees and customers including:
- Voluntarily suspending service disconnections due to nonpayment
- Waiving late payment fees for business customers (residential customers do not have to pay late fees)
- Offering flexible payment plans for customers struggling to pay their bill
- Closing branch office walk-in payment locations effective today, March 20. A list of alternative payment locations may be accessed on sdge.com
- Postponing all non-critical planned outages while continuing with those related to public safety, emergencies and wildfire mitigation
- Having employees who are able to do so work remotely
- Implementing additional protective hygiene and safety measures for employees working in the field
- Providing updates to customers through social media and at sdge.com/coronavirus
Winn added that while the company has enacted its emergency response plan, customers may see employees out in the public responding to emergencies and system upgrades related to public safety and encouraged customers to call 1-800-411-7343 should they need assistance.
For Updates
As the COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly evolving, members of the media are advised to check sdgenews.com for ongoing updates.
SDG&E is an innovative San Diego-based energy company that provides clean, safe and reliable energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company is committed to creating a sustainable future by providing its electricity from renewable sources; modernizing natural gas pipelines; accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles; supporting numerous non-profit partners; and, investing in innovative technologies to ensure the reliable operation of the region’s infrastructure for generations to come. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE). For more information, visit SDGEnews.com or connect with SDG&E on Twitter (@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE) and Facebook.