Effective Friday, June 26, Berkeley Electric Cooperative will temporarily close all district offices to walk-in service due to the increase in COVID-19 cases statewide. Drive-thru services will remain open.

“We are not taking this step lightly. The state of the pandemic was much different a month ago when the decision was made to bring employees back into the office and reopen,” said Dwayne Cartwright, president and CEO of Berkeley Electric. “Once again, we need to change our operations to protect the health of our members and employees.”

Additionally, Berkeley Electric will not be disconnecting members for non-payment until further notice. This applies to all account types, including pre-paid billing. Members should be alert for phone scams and remember that member service representatives will not take live payments over the phone. When in doubt, hang up the phone and contact the cooperative directly. Do not use a provided call back number.

Berkeley Electric crews will continue to work in the field with increased health precautions. The cooperative asks members to maintain proper social distancing with crews to help ensure their safety and ability to provide reliable power.

Although Berkeley Electric has temporarily suspended disconnects for non-payment on all accounts, members are still responsible for paying their bill. The cooperative urges members to continue to pay on their account balance as they are able and to take advantage of financial assistance from local agencies. For more information, please call Trident United Way’s 2-1-1 hotline or visit www.sc211.org.

In addition to the drive-thrus, members can conduct business by calling the cooperative and through the co-op’s website or free Smarthub payment app. Payments are also accepted through an automated phone payment line at 877-853-673.