Georgia Power to close its Columbus payments office on Veterans Parkway

Georgia Power Company is preparing to close its Columbus payment processing center and they informed employees of that decision on Thursday, spokesman Robert Watkins said.

The center, one of 27 remaining across the state, will be closed before the end of the year as the company adjusts to changing trends in the way customers pay their monthly power bill, Watkins said. The downtown Columbus location at 1112 Veterans Parkway is scheduled to close on Oct. 12.

More than 100 such payment centers were closed throughout the state last year.

“We are meeting the changes going on in our company and responding to our customers desires,” Watkins said.

There are about 300 employees statewide impacted and about 100 will lose jobs. There is no final number for those affected in Columbus, Watkins said. Employees who are terminated will be offered job placement assistance and severance packages commensurate with years of service, Watkins said.

The Columbus Georgia Power office was closed Thursday to discuss the changes with employees, but it is scheduled to reopen Friday.

“Many affected employees will have the opportunity to stay on with Georgia Power and assist with the increased volume of calls that will come from the offices closing,” said Georgia Power Region West Vice President Jason Cuevas.

The biggest change is 70 percent of Georgia Power’s customers now pay their bills by check, online, automatic payment or at one of the off-site retail locations designated to accept Georgia Power payments.

“Right now, there are 78 payment locations within 5 miles of our Columbus office,” Watkins said.

Those locations include grocery stores such as Wal-Mart, Publix and Piggly Wiggly, as well as Dollar General and Family Dollar and a number of drug stores. It cost a $1.50 fee to pay at one of the authorized off-site locations, Watkins said.

“More and more of our customers are paying at places they frequent every day,” Watkins said.

This story was originally published June 29, 2017 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Georgia Power to close its Columbus payments office on Veterans Parkway."