The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Illinois (State public utility commission) · Illinois
- Level
- Sector regulator
- Authority
- 220 ILCS 5
- Issued
- 2020-09-09 Sept. 9, 2020
- Effective
- 2020-09-04 (letter); release 2020-09-09 (read as 2020-09-04)
- End
- Requested extension to March 31, 2021 (the end of the statutory winter moratorium) (read as 2021-03-31)
- In force
- Sept. 4, 2020 to Mar. 31, 2021
- Quarters
- 2020 Q32020 Q42021 Q1
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Other
- Addressees
- large State-regulated utilities: Ameren Illinois, ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, Illinois American Water, Aqua Illinois, Utility Services of Illinois, Consumers Gas, Liberty Utilities
- Functions reached
- OP collections of the large utilities (residential disconnections suspended to Sept. 10 or Sept. 30, 2020 and requested to Mar. 31, 2021)
- CB deferred payment arrangements
- SV disconnection crews
- Collection
- State utilities, housing and agriculture agencies AGY-ST-UTILITIES-HOUSING-AG
Operative words
Concerned with steady coronavirus infection rates and the approaching cold weather, the Illinois Commerce Commission on Friday sent a letter to large state-regulated utilities requesting an extension of the moratorium on residential customer disconnections for non-payment until March 31, 2021.... While acknowledging that many utilities may now disconnect customers for non-payment, the Commission's letter requested that utilities voluntarily extend the moratorium on residential customer disconnections to align with the winter heating rules. Each year, the state imposes a winter moratorium for gas and electric services beginning December 1st and ending on March 31st. Last week, the ICC announced the following companies agreed to extend the moratorium on disconnections for residential customers until September 30, 2020: Nicor Gas, Northshore/Peoples Gas, Illinois American Water, Aqua Illinois, and Utility Services of Illinois. Ameren Illinois and ComEd agreed to extend through September 10, 2020. Consumer Gas and Liberty Utilities previously agreed to not disconnect customers until 6 months after the stipulated moratorium period expired, which occurred on June 26, 2020, taking them into the winter months.
Enforcement
Request for voluntary extension backed by the statutory winter moratorium (220 ILCS 5/8-205; 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280.130) and the Commission's prudency review
Notes
Establishes from the Commission's own record the Illinois chronology: Commission-ordered moratorium (Mar. 18, 2020) and stipulated period to June 26, 2020; utility extensions to Sept. 10/30, 2020; winter moratorium Dec. 1, 2020-Mar. 31, 2021.