The impact of the coronavirus on the economy has hit home. Many Central Texas families are hurting financially as jobs are lost or hours and incomes are drastically reduced. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative’s members are increasingly asking for assistance to pay their electric bills.
 
Barbara Seilheimer, Bluebonnet’s manager of member services, answered questions about what the cooperative is doing for members during this difficult time.
 
What is Bluebonnet doing for families who are struggling to pay their electric bills because they have lost jobs or their income has been reduced during the coronavirus outbreak?
 
We are always willing to work with our members who need help with their electric bills. We ask our members to contact us if they are unable to pay so we can work out a payment arrangement.

Find out more about financial assistance options here.
 
How can someone who needs assistance with their bill contact Bluebonnet, and what information do they need to provide?
 
They can contact us by email at memberservices@bluebonnet.coop, call 800-842-7708 (Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), or visit one of our member service center drive-through lanes. Assistance information is also available at our website, bluebonnet.coop. Click on the Residential tab, then on Your Bill in the drop-down. Scroll to the bottom of the page for payment assistance information and links, including a list of Central Texas assistance providers. On the mobile app, click on the Payments icon at the bottom of the screen and select Payment Assistance.
 
If a family or business can’t pay the entire amount due on their bill, why is it important to pay as much as they can right now?
Bluebonnet wants to make sure we do everything we can to support our members.  Making a partial payment will enable more flexibility with payment arrangements, and avoid a higher bill once this health crisis ends.
 
What about businesses that need help with their electric bills?
 
We are helping businesses the same way we are helping families. We know a lot of businesses — large and small — are struggling right now.
 
During your 39 years with Bluebonnet, have you ever seen a time like this?
 
No. We have had summers with short spurts of high temperatures. Bills were high, and we made payment arrangements and payment plans. We didn’t disconnect power because of the heat. But nothing like this. This time it’s people losing jobs, cuts in pay and furloughs, and we don’t know how long this will go on.