APS pledges $1 million in shared effort to fight COVID-19,
Funds will help families and communities affected by COVID-19
Arizona’s fight against COVID-19 is drawing collaboration and participation from every sector, and Arizona Public Service (NYSE: PNW) is joining other companies in the team effort to support customers and communities. In addition to temporarily halting disconnections for non-payment of all customers and waiving late fees, APS, along with Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power, are engaging with Arizona’s nonprofit and business communities to provide special assistance during this pandemic.
APS is making a $1 million contribution to help nonprofit agencies with their response. The company will immediately distribute $500,000 between the Arizona Community Foundation and different chapters of United Way throughout Arizona. These funds will support various nonprofit organizations directly assisting individuals and families experiencing hardship due to COVID-19.
“Throughout Arizona, we are all in this uncertain and difficult time together. We want our customers and the communities we serve to rest assured we will continue to power their homes and businesses through this pandemic, and remain committed to joining forces with the private sector in our role as a community partner,” said APS Chairman and CEO Jeff Guldner.
Through collaboration with a broad range of partners from different sectors, APS will work quickly to assess how the remaining $500,000 commitment can best fill resource needs across Arizona.
Year-round, APS offers employees the opportunity to apply for a 50% match of their own personal financial contributions to nonprofit organizations. Starting earlier this week, APS began offering employees a dollar-for-dollar match of their personal contributions to the Arizona Food Bank Network, with a minimum company match of $25,000. This organization provides transportation services, bulk food purchasing and other services to its network of food banks throughout the state.
“Throughout Arizona, we are all in this uncertain and difficult time together. We want our customers and the communities we serve to rest assured we will continue to power their homes and businesses through this pandemic, and remain committed to joining forces with the private sector in our role as a community partner,” said APS Chairman and CEO Jeff Guldner.
Through collaboration with a broad range of partners from different sectors, APS will work quickly to assess how the remaining $500,000 commitment can best fill resource needs across Arizona.
Year-round, APS offers employees the opportunity to apply for a 50% match of their own personal financial contributions to nonprofit organizations. Starting earlier this week, APS began offering employees a dollar-for-dollar match of their personal contributions to the Arizona Food Bank Network, with a minimum company match of $25,000. This organization provides transportation services, bulk food purchasing and other services to its network of food banks throughout the state.
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the company’s launch of an emergency Customer Support Fund on March 18 designed to assist residential and small business customers behind on their bills and now facing an unexpected loss of income, higher medical or childcare expenses, or other financial hardship created by the COVID-19 virus. Effective March 13, APS also suspended service disconnections for nonpayment and waived late fees for customers.
In addition to these special measures in response to COVID-19, the APS Crisis Bill Assistance, Energy Support Program and other resources remain available to limited-income customers. Crisis Bill Assistance offers eligible residential customers up to $800 a year in bill support for qualifying situations while the Energy Support Program is an ongoing 25 percent discount off energy use costs based on household income levels.
Details on customer assistance programs and how APS is responding to the pandemic are available at aps.com/COVID19.
APS serves about 2.7 million people in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is the Southwest’s foremost producer of clean, safe and reliable electricity. Using a balanced energy mix that is 50 percent carbon-free, APS has one of the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios and is a proven leader in introducing technology and services that offer customers choice and control over their energy consumption. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
