ATLANTA — In the aftermath of the winter storm, Georgia Power says it will not shut off electricity for customers who may have fallen behind on their bills.

The state’s major utility provider is suspending service disconnections for both residential and commercial customers through Thursday, offering what officials describe as a temporary grace period during the cold weather.

Georgia Power spokesman Matthew Kent says the move is meant to help customers stay safe and comfortable.

“We do this because we know how important energy is to our customers, and we want everybody to be comfortable in their home,” Kent said.

Kent says suspending disconnections during major weather events is standard practice for the company.

“This is typically what we do. We suspend disconnections for a period of time. We’ve done this for most every major storm, and especially any ice storm,” he said.

Georgia Power says customers who are behind on their bills will not have their power shut off during this suspension period. However, officials stress that the pause is temporary.

“Georgia Power is suspending disconnections from non-payments for all commercial and residential customers until Thursday, January 29,” Kent said.

Once the disconnection suspension ends, Georgia Power says customers who are behind should contact the company to set up payment plan arrangements. Kent also noted that not all utilities provide disconnection suspensions during severe weather.

“Not all utilities provide disconnection suspensions, so we’re happy to be able to provide it,” Kent said.

Georgia Power encourages customers who have fallen behind on payments to reach out after Thursday to make arrangements once the suspension period expires.

WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.