MARQUETTE — Semco Energy Gas Co. is continuing to purchase and deliver natural gas for its customers during the current COVID-19 pandemic while spreading the word about what the public can do to help employees stay safe, officials say.

It has also suspended all non-payment shutoffs for customers and is waiving late fees.

Because utilities are considered critical infrastructure under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders, Semco employees and other energy utility workers are permitted to work to ensure safe and reliable delivery of natural gas during the pandemic, Semco Director of Business Development, Community and Legislative Engagement Tim Lubbers said in an email.

However, Semco continues to evaluate its system to determine what work is essential and how it can ensure its employees’ safety, Lubbers said.

The pandemic and social distancing guidelines have impacted the energy company’s ability to do certain construction and maintenance work, as Semco generally starts most of its construction projects in March, but much of that seasonal work has been delayed until the crisis comes to a halt, Lubbers explained. All nonessential construction has been postponed, he said.

“We continue to do some required construction and safety work and are continuing to support various community public improvement projects that are still moving forward,” Lubbers said.

Semco employees who have never been required to work remotely are now working from home, he noted. In most cases, field employees are keeping their trucks at home to prevent the need to come to the office unless it is required, Lubbers said.

Semco’s Information Technology Department responded to a significantly increased number of “help” requests to continue its communication with customers to ensure customer accounts are accurate and to assure that emergency calls are addressed quickly, he said.

“Many of Semco’s employees are working from home, including customer service, engineering, administrative and accounting functions,” Lubbers said. “In certain instances, some employees are required to go into the office — to get and process mail, bills and other correspondence — and in those cases, they are observing appropriate social distance from others and taking appropriate precautions.”

Most meetings now occur via conference calls or video conference calls, which is by far the biggest change the company has seen, he said.

Employees in certain areas have a designated time to go into the office — if they need to — in order to limit contact with other employees. Though these conditions are new for most businesses, Semco is learning to adapt while still addressing customer needs, Lubbers said.

“We are asking customers to respect our employees’ need for social distancing while they are working,” he said. “This has become increasingly difficult now that so many people are home. They are understandably curious about what the Semco crew is doing, but we need to ensure the safety of our employees and our customers,” he said. “Semco is also doing everything it can to prevent the need to enter anyone’s home, but in certain circumstances, it may be required. In those instances employees are taking increased care to wear personal protective equipment, including gloves and masks to limit the risk of exposure.”

If a person is conducting any digging or excavating, Lubbers noted that Michigan law requires people to call 811 at least three days prior to any project. Semco has experienced an increase in facility damage such as line hits due to more people being at home during this time and contractors performing excavation work without calling 811.

“If you see our employees working in your community they may be fixing equipment, performing leak surveys or performing other critical infrastructure work,” Lubbers said. “Please give these employees appropriate social distance so they can complete their work as quickly and safely as possible.”

Officials also urge Semco customers who are having difficulty paying their bills to contact the Customer Service Department at 800-624-2019 as soon as possible. Customer service representatives can provide a payment plan, direct people to assistance options and address account concerns.

Jackie Jahfetson can be reached at jjahfetson@miningjournal.net.