EDP, an electric energy distributor in the states of São Paulo and Espírito Santo, reinforces the incentive for its customers to access EDP Online, a virtual service channel, aiming to reduce the need to use face-to-face service agencies and physical locations for payment of accounts. The measure seeks to avoid the crowding of people in these environments, in order to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.

Currently, more than 70% of EDP's calls are already made through the EDP Online portal, www.edponline.com.br and the EDP Online smartphone application. In 2019 alone, in São Paulo, there were more than 6.2 million digital services. There are 58 services available on the website for residential customers, in addition to specific portals for segmented groups, such as engineers and construction technicians, hospitals, public authorities, medium and high voltage customers, condominiums and real estate.

The EDP Online application, available for download on all smartphone and tablet platforms, brings the 20 main services demanded by consumers. Among them, consultation of open debts, denunciation of energy fraud, negotiation of open debts, registration of calls for power outage, reading report of monthly consumption, request for reconnection of energy and 2nd copy of the invoice for payment. Consumers also have at their disposal a 24-hour chat, which allows photographic recording, facilitating services that require the location of the consumer unit or consumption reading report.

Other virtual tools that help the customer not to leave home are digital payment channels, such as automatic debit and internet banking. The registration of the energy bill in automatic debit can be done at any time by EDP Online or directly by the banking institution. Currently, 43% of EDP customers' energy bills are paid through digital channels.

 In addition to virtual channels and on-site branches, EDP maintains a Customer Service Department (SAC), 0800 721 0123 (SP) and 0800 7210707 (ES), available 24 hours a day, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, for which calls are toll free. To record power outages, it is also possible to send SMS to 28037 with the message Falta Luz (SP) and Sem Luz (ES).

Coronavirus Crisis Internal Committee

 Even before the confirmation of the first case of Coronavirus in the country, EDP, a company that operates in all segments of the electricity sector, set up a crisis management committee to prepare the Company for preventing the spread of the microorganism.

Since mid-February, hygiene protocols have been intensified at the Company. The cleaning of items such as elevator buttons, door handles and stair railings, received an increase. At sites where computer and telecommunications equipment is shared, such as call centers and operation centers, the recommendation is to sanitize these items with alcohol-based disinfectants. The same measure was extended to vehicles in the Company's operating fleet.

Among other actions, communication with employees has also reinforced the importance of personal care such as washing your hands frequently, covering your mouth and nose with disposable tissue when sneezing or avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.. The contents are distributed through newsletters, publications on the intranet and on the digital murals of the offices. The Company also determined the acquisition of lots of alcohol gel to distribute to its field teams, such as electricians and call center operators.

About EDP in Brazil

With over 20 years of experience, EDP is one of the largest private companies in the electricity sector operating throughout the value chain. The Company, which has over 10,000 direct and outsourced employees, operates in Transmission, Trading and Energy Services and has six hydroelectric generation units and one thermal power station. In Distribution, it serves about 3.5 million customers in São Paulo and Espírito Santo, in addition to being the main shareholder of Celesc, in Santa Catarina. In Brazil, it is a reference in areas such as Innovation, Governance and Sustainability, having been in the B3´s Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) for 14 consecutive years.