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NES Sends Disconnection Notices to Some Winter Storm Fern Customers as Payment Plans Default
Nashville Electric Service has begun sending targeted disconnection warnings to customers whose post-Winter Storm Fern payment arrangements are in default, even as roughly 20,000 accounts still carry storm-related past-due balances. The utility says it is reviewing accounts individually and pointing struggling households toward a new $500,000 partnership with the nonprofit NeedLink.
NASHVILLE â Nashville Electric Service has begun sending targeted notices warning some customers that their power could be shut off, after payment arrangements tied to Winter Storm Fern fell into default.
The utility said this week that the notices went to customers whose storm-related payment plans are behind, alerting them that their accounts are at risk of disconnection and directing them to assistance programs and NES Customer Relations.
About 20,000 NES customers may still be carrying past-due balances stemming from the January storm, but the utility stressed that does not mean all of those accounts are scheduled for disconnection at once. NES said it reviews each account individually, weighing factors including the customer's billing cycle, account status, payment history, any arrangements or payments already made, operational capacity and applicable weather protections.
NES suspended disconnections for nonpayment and waived late fees beginning Jan. 28. After that moratorium ended, the utility automatically enrolled eligible past-due balances into six-month payment arrangements starting with the July bill. For many customers on those plans, December is the final month â though NES emphasized that is not a universal deadline or a mass-disconnection date.
Customers who fall behind are supposed to receive notice before any scheduled disconnection, and the utility is urging them to reach out to discuss options rather than wait.
To help households still struggling, NES said it has established an additional $500,000 partnership with the nonprofit NeedLink and is folding that assistance into its current outreach to customers and community partners.
The utility is asking anyone having trouble paying bills tied to the January storm to contact NES Customer Relations to go over payment options and available aid.
The notices mark a difficult turn for thousands of Nashville households still recovering from a storm that knocked out power across the region and strained the utility's response. NES has faced scrutiny over its handling of the outage, including an independent review of its storm response, and the utility's own leadership has acknowledged shortcomings.
For residents, the practical message is that help exists but requires a phone call: customers at risk of losing service should contact NES before a disconnection is scheduled and ask about the NeedLink assistance and revised payment plans.