Following Gov. Mike DeWine’s press conference Monday afternoon, where he discussed plans to gradually reopen Ohio’s economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Consolidated Cooperative’s offices remain closed to the public with many employees continuing to work from their homes.
During his briefing, Gov. DeWine unveiled Responsible ReStart Ohio. The plan outlines the reopening of the state’s economy in phases, with healthcare reopening this Friday; manufacturing, construction, distribution, and general offices reopening next week; and consumer retail — absent restaurants, hair salons, and gyms – set to re-open the week of May 12.
However, even though offices are reopening May 4 under the plan, Gov. DeWine recommends that businesses whose employees are able to work from home during the pandemic continue operating that way.
“Our board of trustees and our leadership team will continue to comply with or exceed the governor’s mandates. From the start, we recognized that the safety of our members, staff, and their families, as well as the safety of the communities we serve must remain our priority. We are blessed that we are able to operate effectively, and that our members and customers are still getting great service and great reliability, affordably,” said Consolidated’s President and CEO, Phil Caskey. “We continue to monitor this situation closely and base decisions concerning the reopening of our offices to the public on guidance from the state and healthcare experts, balanced with what’s best for our members, employees, and communities,” he added.
Also, Consolidated continues to suspend disconnections and late fees for members who are unable to pay their bills. However, any member who is experiencing such a hardship should immediately contact the cooperative’s service specialists at 800-421-5863 so we can help you devise a plan that will minimize your difficulty later on.
“Although the state is slowly reopening the economy, Consolidated’s operations are not affected,” said Caskey. “We continue to operate as we have been for the past several weeks. Our offices will remain closed to the public and many of our employees will continue to work from home. At the same time, we continue to provide our members with safe, reliable, and affordable electric, fiber, and gas services.”
Caskey added, “The public will continue to see our field employees out on the roads, although you may notice special precautions and limitations. We continue to answer our office phones and quickly respond to your requests and any emergencies. Consolidated is steadfast in its mission to deliver quality-of-life services to you, our members. That never changes. We are a heart-focused business to our core. We care deeply about you, whom we serve, and the communities we all share. You are our co-op family. No matter what chaos might be going on around us, our deep commitment to you will not change. Serving you is not only our mission and our privilege, but it is also our joy.”
We encourage you to visit our COVID-19 Communication Hub . There you will find a FAQ section, helpful links, and the most current announcements from your Cooperative regarding its operations and pandemic policies. It is updated regularly as conditions change.
