Potential Implications of Covid-19 on Customer-Supplier Relationships

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are far-reaching and continue to impact our members in unprecedented ways. We hope your businesses, family, and customers are healthy and successfully navigating these unprecedented times.

The government mandated closures and other restrictions intended to curb the spread of the virus have undoubtedly affected your customers. As our industry continues to learn more about, and cope with, the implications of the pandemic we are contacting you to inform you that some energy suppliers are implementing charges and taking other actions with customers that are focused on addressing changes in customer usage and regulatory cost changes.

While each situation is unique and supplier contract provisions vary, we encourage you to closely monitor this evolving situation by initiating a dialogue with your suppliers and customers. A comprehensive review of your customers’ contractual obligations and rights in their supplier agreements has become increasingly more important.

This is evolving, and will undoubtedly require effective communication between you, each customer and each supplier to understand and address agreement compliance and commercial integrity. We suggest that those conversations might best be facilitated by you and be based on your having a full and current understanding of the various agreements between your customers and suppliers.

Our committee remains available as a resource to all TEPA members. We must be vigilant and collaboratively address the actions of all TEPA members to continue to strive to meet the TEPA goal of supporting the credibility, success, and continued benefits to customers in a competitive energy market.

Best Regards,
Standards and Compliance Committee
standards@tepausa.org