Ameren Illinois has announced it has provided $29 million in bill forgiveness throughout Central and Southern Illinois.
Ameren said in a press release that it worked to significantly reduce or avoid service disruptions and possibly eliminate past due utility bills for some customers.
The assistance came in the form of a one-time credit that was applied toward utility bills with balances up to $5,000, households slated for service disconnection, and customers who had received state energy assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP).
All available credits were applied to customer accounts on May 2nd. The assistance was made possible by the Utility Disconnection Avoidance Program, a first-time program developed to help customers during the pandemic. Ameren Illinois collaborated closely with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to distribute the credits.
Customers who are still in need of assistance, Ameren says they can call their customer service hotline at 800-755-5000 to discuss options.