In Bad Economy, Power Cutoffs Soar

As Americans Struggle With Paying Utility Bills, More Have Electricity Switched Off

(AP)  The number of Americans whose electricity or gas has been shut off for nonpayment of their bills is up sharply in many parts of the country as people struggle to cope with higher prices and a shaky economy.

Shut-offs have been running 17 percent higher than last year among customers of New York state's major utilities, and 22 percent higher in economically hard-hit Michigan. They are up in all or part of dozens of other states, including Pennsylvania, Florida and California, according to an Associated Press check of regulators and energy companies.

Despite stepped-up efforts by state and federal governments, utilities and private groups to help people avoid shut-offs this winter, some worry the problem will only get worse in the coming months, particularly with the downturn on Wall Street.

"I just didn't have the money to pay," said Marie Williams, a single mother raising four daughters in Cohoes, N.Y., a former mill city on the Hudson River. "Rent had to be paid, and food for the girls."

Williams' power was cut off this summer for about a week, forcing her girls to do homework by candlelight. She became one of more than 230,000 residential customers of New York's 10 major utilities to have their service shut off for nonpayment through August of this year.

At the same time, people who rely on heating oil instead of gas or electricity to warm their homes are pleading for relief from high fuel prices.

Southern California Edison Co., with 4.5 million residential electric customers, reported residential terminations were up 10 percent through August of this year to 228,000; Westar Energy Inc. of Topeka, Kan., said it saw a 19.5 percent increase in residential shut-offs over the same period. Tampa Electric Co. reported a 19 percent climb in disconnect orders through June for residential and commercial customers.

Michigan regulators reported a 7 percent increase in residential natural gas shut-offs through June and a 39 percent rise in residential electricity terminations.

Shut-offs often are brief and the numbers can include customers whose service was shut off more than once.

"Because of high gasoline prices, many families at the lower incomes have really been squeezed," said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. "It's like triage: You pay the most important things, and the last thing you pay is your utility bill."

In Boston, Jaqueta Oliver works at a program for the mentally disabled but was not able to keep up with her gas bills after three months of unemployment last year. She said her bill snowballed to $1,271 before the gas was shut off in late September. Heating was not yet a problem, but cooking for her two boys, ages 5 and 8, was.

"I had food to reheat in the microwave and I have a toaster oven," she said, "so I used the toaster oven for some chicken breast to make sure they were able to eat."

A $600 grant from a nonprofit organization helped her regain gas service last Tuesday.

Utilities, by policy and regulation, cut the power only as a last resort, and generally only after customers have run up hundreds of dollars in past-due bills. Many utilities instead offer extensions and payment arrangements.

Laws across the country protect the elderly and the ailing, and many states have cold-weather rules that make it hard or impossible to shut off service in winter.

In rare cases, shut-offs can lead to tragedy.

In Toledo, Ohio, last November, three children and their mother died in a fire (left) started by a candle after their power was turned off. In New York last summer, a Long Island teenager was killed and members of his family were sickened by carbon monoxide from a gasoline-powered generator fired up after a shut-off.

And in Michigan last December, a social worker found a 90-year-old woman and her 63-year-old daughter wrapped in coats and blankets on the floor of their Kalamazoo-area home four days after their electricity was shut off. The older woman later died after suffering what a relative called exposure, frostbite and pneumonia.

Congress recently approved a measure to nearly double the federal money available to help poor people cope with home heating costs, whether they use oil, gas or electricity. But advocates say the $5.1 billion is unlikely to be enough.

New York is spending an extra $49 million on household energy efficiency programs. Connecticut approved $44 million to help with heating costs and weatherization. Officials in Maine want to distribute 2,000 to 3,000 "warm kits" that will include caulk, low-flow shower heads and high-efficiency light bulbs. Alaskans in their annual oil-royalty checks from the state this year are seeing an additional $1,200 to help offset high fuel prices.

Utilities and private groups are also chipping in, helping customers make payments and winterize their homes. In hard-hit Detroit, DTE Energy matches money spent by a local group called The Heat and Warmth Fund and meets with customers at churches to work out payment arrangements.

Visit the Web site of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for information about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

[maine11111]

The people of this country have no backbone. They just do what they are told to do by the government and live it. If the government told people to go jump off of a bridge american idiots would do it. Americans believe everything that is told to them and some question what they are being told but do nothing about. If you are living without lights and gas. THEN THAT''S YOUR FAULT STUPID!!!!!! People need to wake up look at all of these rich corporate leaders lying and stealing to make all of this money and not be held accountable, if your poor what you need to do is find a way to get a job at one of these places so that you can steal and rob and not be held accountable either!!!!

[differnet]

From Wall Street to Main Street to K Street to 1600 Pennsylvannia Avenue, everyone has been involved in creating this economic nightmare. Look, I want an investigation. I also want us to get serious about fixing the problems that got us here. That includes people''s attitudes. A lot of people are poor through no fault of their own. A bad illness can wipe out their economic security. But there are just as many people who have created their own issues with credit cards. So, here''s a crazy idea. Let''s start teaching and promoting personal fiscal sensibility. At the same time, let''s change how things are done in the market. Let''s demand that our government officials, Republican and Democrat, do what is needed of them or tell them it''s time for them to get out of government.

In the mean time, watch out for your neighbors, friends and families. If things go the way they are expected to go, some of them may find themselves desperate this winter. I expect to lower my heat, turn off my lights and a lot more of my electronics when not in use. It''s time to get serious.

Also, just one last thought. I''m tired of both McCain and Obama. Tell us the truth. This is going to hurt. We can''t have universal health care when we have 10 Trillion dollars of debt. We can''t expect to shop our way out of this disaster. We can''t do even 1/10 of what they are selling in the present fiscal situation. Talk to us like we are grown ups and maybe we can act like grown ups.

[runningralph]

cmp 271 says the government has a secret energy source called ETI technology. I am old and out of date, and I have never heard of this. Does anyone know what ETI technology is?

[tallyman2008]

AP writes:

''... electricity or gas has been shut off ... as people struggle to cope ...''




You Betcha

[beehive21-2009]

It ''s heart breaking to hear all the stories of people w/o electricity,however it''s good to go without,especially fat donkey Americans,we have it too good.We need to eat less endure heat,get the hose out and wet everyone down,you''ll be cool and less dependent on power or oil.The Pioneers had none so you can make it too, and shall be glad you did,it''s back to nature time.prepare yourselves for the future ,we smell smoke on the Horizon.

[mark46n]

I truly believe that the Feds should take over all of the utility Companies and there should be some kind of a tax, Federal sales tax, income tax, or something to pay for it. Nobody should have to live without basic needs in this country but there are people struggling right now that have to choose between food or electricity and it should not be like that in America.

[edthelight]

OPTION 1 - QUIT PAYING YOUR MORTGAGE - If enough people quit paying maybe Congress will provide a taxpayer bailout and it is a good possibility that the mortgage holder can not even prove they hold the mortgage, at least you will have money to pay the utilities. BETTER THE TAXPAYER THAN THE GREEDY ARE BAILED OUT.

[scottyusa]

We can all take comfort in the fact that all the people responsible for the economic crises will be able to heat their million dollar homes this winter.

[cmp271]

When are people going to wake up and realize our Government has the technology to provide utilities to us to provide heat and electric. They won''t release it because they haven''t figured out how they would charge us for it-it should be free!!! It is ETI technology, the same place we got our Stealth Fighter technology from. It will take a revolution to move this Government into action to release all it knows to the people.

[babooph]

Shut off power-that saves oil-servant jobs only-no need for education -massive Mexican endless cheap labor-who needs healthcare-cremation will clean up the mess-THE BUSH LEGACY-directed by GOD -PALIN TO FOLLOW UP.

[bobnjersey]

[Later on, I took my wife to a restaurant and there was so many customers there was a 45 minute wait. So I went to another restaurant where people were standing outside the door waiting to get in. We went home and had a sandwich.]
[Posted by runningralph at 10:48 AM : Oct 07, 2008]

what kind?

[antoniof123]

Hey didn''t the GOP stop a vote because they were mad they didn''t get their way on oil driling.

Hey GOP these people vote want to bet how they will reemmber you.

This election is going to be a blood bath for the GOP and what is funny is they don''t beleive it yet.

Wait until November 5 when they are standing there asking why us.

[easeup-2009]

easeup: concorde5 didn''''t say s/he was still living in poverty. S/he said s/he grew up in poverty. There is a difference -- a big difference. Why are you accusing concorde5 of posting on a message board all day? Aren''''t you posting on one?

Posted by dagrandma at 02:13 PM : Oct 07, 2008

I wasn''t the one complaining. These boards are FULL of people blaming everyone but themselves for their misfortunes.

[dagrandma]

easeup: concorde5 didn''t say s/he was still living in poverty. S/he said s/he grew up in poverty. There is a difference -- a big difference. Why are you accusing concorde5 of posting on a message board all day? Aren''t you posting on one?

[dagrandma]

Maybe Marie Williams and others with similar difficulties could be sent to live with someone who was the beneficiary of a nice golden parachute.

I''m beginning to wonder just exactly who in the hell it was we bailed out.

[easeup-2009]

It just shows where our priorities are.

Posted by concorde5 at 01:18 PM : Oct 07, 2008

So the best way to break your cycle of poverty is to post on message boards all day.

[slim1h2o]

I''''ve got an idea, let''''s turn off the electricity and gas on CONgress and the Executive branch!! That should save us all money.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by bm6005 at 01:19 PM : Oct 07, 2008


They wouldn''t know the difference, with all that hot air they expel. In the summer they might be able to tell.

[scotch41-2009]

Posted by concorde5 at 01:18 PM : Oct 07, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You''ve come up in the world....Now you have a computer, or at least, access to one.

[bm6005]

I''ve got an idea, let''s turn off the electricity and gas on CONgress and the Executive branch!! That should save us all money.

[concorde5]

Xentpro......People who can''t pay the electric don''t have cell phones, video games, rims on their cars. Most don''t even own cars.

I was born and raised in poverty. As kids we knew that if something cost money then we could not have it. We were stripped down to the bare basics. No home phone, no toys or games, no junk food, no new clothes, we never ate out, nothing but basic food and shelter.

We didn''t even get Cereal because it cost too much.

We don''t complain when it''s time to bail out wall street but we whine and moan whenever someone wants to help a single mother struggling to keep the electricity on.

It just shows where our priorities are.