Avista's COVID-19 Response
Our culture of safety extends beyond our everyday operations. The health and safety of our customers, employees and all those we serve is our top priority.
As the impact of the Coronavirus continues to unfold, at Avista, we’re here with you, and our hearts go out to all those affected.
We continue to shift our operations and community response as the situation evolves and believe it’s our responsibility to take further action to preserve the health and safety of our customers, employees, contractors and communities. We’re focused on continuing to meet the needs of our customers during the uncertainty. While the way we do this may look different, Avista maintains appropriate staffing for critical business functions and energy delivery.
All Avista offices are now closed to the public. Employees with job functions not critical to providing safe and reliable electric and natural gas service or essential business support services will be required to work from or stay at home.
What customers can expect from Avista during this time:
- Employees will continue to respond to calls to ensure the safe, reliable delivery of service.
- Customer service representatives continue to be available while working from home. While you may hear life going on in the background when you call, you can expect the same great level of service.
- To alleviate some of the burden this crisis may have on our neighbors, we’ve stopped all utility disconnects and collections, will honor all of our non-profit and sponsorship commitments and have committed through Avista Foundation to the COVID-19 Eastern Washington Community Response Fund hosted by Innovia Foundation.
- We will take steps to further reduce public interactions for employees. Customers will see employees who engage with the public wearing additional protective equipment such as masks and gloves and inquiring about the health of residents inside homes and businesses before entering. This will be done with respect and out of an abundance of caution to protect our employees and our customers.
- We will focus primarily on necessary or time-sensitive field work, outage response, natural gas calls, compliance work and other projects determined on a case-by-case basis to be appropriate and safe to complete. Planned maintenance that would cause an interruption in electric or natural gas service will be minimized as it is safe to do so.
- Customers can expect to continue to see Avista trucks out in our communities and may see them more frequently or in different locations as most employees are working or being dispatched remotely.
- Most Avista employees will be working remotely through the end of April.
Information for suppliers and contractors, click here
For more information and ongoing updates on the situation, please visit:
Helpful information for customers
You can reach us to report outages or natural gas odors, make payments and conduct additional business in a number of ways, including:
- Online at myavista.com
- Mobile app: Download our mobile app
- Phone: (800) 227-9187
- Pay by text: text PAY to AVISTA (284-782)
- Pay stations: Find a pay station. Please note, these are individual businesses and subject to closure. Confirm availability before you visit.
- Pay by Mail: Avista Utilities
1411 E. Mission Ave
Spokane, WA 99252-0001
Payment Arrangements & Energy Assistance
We understand that there may be instances where customers find themselves facing financial difficulties. We are here to help and encourage customers who may be impacted to call us at (800) 227-9187 to discuss how we might be of assistance.
Beware of scams
Don’t fall for scams. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that scammers are taking advantage of the COVID-19 outbreak to send phishing emails, texts and social media posts. Be on the lookout for these links or attachments. For the most up-to-date facts, visit the CDC or WHO.
Energy efficiency
If you've been asked to work from home, you may experience increased energy use. Visit our Energy Savings Tips page to learn more about ways to save.
Business Resources
For our business customers, we have prepared savings tips and building shutdown checklists.
Community Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my power get shut off for non-payment during the Coronavirus outbreak?
Avista has made the decision to temporarily suspend all collection activity and disconnects for customers as our communities respond to the impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak. We encourage customers who may be facing financial difficulties to call us at (800) 227-9187.
How can I afford my bill if I can’t work due to a Coronavirus outbreak in my community?
We are here to help. Our Customer Service Representatives will work with you to make flexible payment arrangements to help get you through this difficult time. In addition, there may be energy assistance or other programs available to help. Please call us at (800) 227-9187
What can I do to control my energy bill while I have to spend more time at home?
Naturally, spending more time at home, especially with children out of school, can increase your energy usage. While weather forecasts vary from region to region, we will likely see an increase in temperature in the coming weeks, which may help. Additionally, we offer energy saving tips that may also help you manage your use. Learn more about saving energy.
Will our community lose power because of this outbreak?
We remain committed to our obligation to provide safe and reliable service and are focused on ensuring this critical function is our focus at this time. We’ve taken steps over the last few weeks to ensure those employees whose responsibilities are critical to the delivery of our service are prepared and well-positioned to continue on in their roles without interruption.
I received a call demanding payment. How do I know if it’s you?
Not only has Avista made the decision to temporarily suspend all collection and disconnection activity, but we are aware that scam calls have been on the rise with the current pandemic. Please visit our scams page to learn more. If you are uncertain, you should always call us at (800) 227-9187.