Piedmont Natural Gas implements additional steps to protect customers and employees during virus pandemic

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural Gas today implemented additional steps to protect customers and employees in the communities it serves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The actions taken by the company include:

• Piedmont Natural Gas will not disconnect any customer's service for non-payment, to give customers experiencing financial hardship extra time to make payments. This applies to all home and business accounts in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The company will continue to read meters and send bills; customers should pay what they can to avoid building up a large balance that will be harder to pay off later. 
• Through a carefully planned and strategically implemented process, Piedmont has directed most employees – who are not involved in the distribution of natural gas – to work from home, where possible.
• Piedmont technicians will continue to perform emergency repairs and other essential work on customers' property. Technicians will maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from customers, avoid handshaking, and follow best hygiene practices in accordance with guidelines by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
• Piedmont is urging customers to use online tools for billing and payment or to request to start, stop or move service. Customers with special circumstances can call customer service at 800.752.7504.

Staffing for Piedmont's natural gas distribution facilities has been reduced; however, this will not affect the reliable delivery of natural gas to customers. In addition, the company's customer service call center operations remain unaffected at this time.

We will continue to monitor the pandemic and respond accordingly.

Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, is an energy services company whose principal business is the distribution of natural gas to more than 1 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The company also supplies natural gas to power plants. Piedmont is routinely recognized by J.D. Power for excellent customer satisfaction, and has been named by Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S. 

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2020 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.      

Media line: 877.348.3612    

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SOURCE Duke Energy