ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – As the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission voted to end the COVID-19 moratorium on shutting off electricity as soon as August 12, 2021, PNM is now urging its residential customers to contact the company for help paying past due balances. PNM reports that about 43,000 customers can receive help through financial relief assistance programs or can get a payment plan in order to prevent utilities from being shut off.
In a press release, PNM states that the utility moratorium prevented customers from having their electricity disconnected due to non-payment. However, customers are still responsible for paying for the energy they used which resulted in past-due bills each month.
The company says that some customers have nearly a year’s worth of unpaid bills. About 43,413 rediential customers as of May 7 are past-due on their PNM bill with an average past-due amount of $469 per customer.
“If you can get into a payment arrangement with us and show a steady effort of paying your bill and some activity on getting down that account balance, you will likely not be facing a disconnection,” said Shannon Jackson with PNM.
PNM says that several thousand customers have recently made payment arrangements in order to get caught up and to help avoid disconnection. If you need help paying past-due PNM bills, visit PNM.com/help or call the company at 855-364-2950.
The PNM COVID Customer Relief Fund, the PNM Good Neighbor Fund, the State of New Mexico Emergency Renters Assistance program, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and other resources may be available to you to help pay down or possibly pay off past-due bills for residential customers.
