The AGO issued a 2018reportand2019 update,and2021 updatethat found that Massachusetts customers typically lost money on competitive electric supply. The commissioners did not heed that call. Southern states are more frequently turning to pay-to-use express lanes as a way to address highway congestion without raising taxes. Please limit your input to 500 characters. A deadlocked Public Utility Commission earlier this month ensured utility companies could move forward with terminations starting April 1, potentially leaving low-income workers and students. If you are unsure whether the supplier on your bill is part of a community choice electric plan, call or check your city or towns website to find out. To leave anyone, especially children who rely on utilities to attend virtual school, without electricity or heat is unconscionable when these companies have guaranteed income and millions in revenue.. You, or someone in your home, is seriously ill; You have an infant under 12 months in your home; and, All adults in the home are age 65 or older, Customers who are interested in installing solar panels or enrolling with community solar programs should visit the AGs Office FAQ with consumer tips at, This chart from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), In addition to requesting assistance from your electric or gas utility, residential customers should also contact their local community action agency, as there may be funds available to assist households who earn more than 60 % of the state median income, but still need assistance paying their bills. Steve has worked in municipal law and government for over 20 years as an Assistant City Attorney for Lynnwood, Seattle, Tacoma, and Auburn, and as the City Attorney for Port Townsend and Auburn. As an alternative to the collection provisions in that section, RCW 36.94.150(3) allows the county to adopt the procedures in RCW 35.67.290 for collection. March 17, 2020: CPUC Ensures Essential Utility Services for Consumers to Assist in COVID-19 Mitigation. No, your landlord cannot shut off your utilities. As Californians are sheltering at home, residential electric usage has increased 15 to 20 percent in recent weeks compared to the same period last year. Please let us know how we can improve this page. This is true even if you are behind on rent. Enrollment does not prevent customers from accessing other financial programs that can help them reduce utility debt. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. However, if a customer misses more than two payments in their COVID-19 relief plan, they can be kicked out of the plan. If you are served by a municipal utility, it may or may not be shutting off customers for unpaid bills. Eligible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one-on-one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions. Sign up now! "When we have public health experts telling us that one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of the virus is frequent hand washing, I don't know how in good conscience and based on that public health guidance we can allow utility service to be disconnected," said Valcq. OLYMPIA, WA - With a bipartisan 64-31 vote, the Washington State House passed a bill to ensure a utility operator cannot shut off power or water when the National Weather Service issues a heat-related warning or alert. *Note:This combined total for New York City and California is likely a conservative estimate. You should also closely review your electric and gas utility bills to determine whether you are buying your electric or gas supply from your utility or from another entity, often called a competitive supplier. We will Those moratoriums are running out, and thousands of unemployed people plus others still battling COVID-19 are running out of options. of King v. Ne. If you are a small business customer that receives electric or gas service through a municipal utility, call your municipal utility to see what programs they offer to help avoid disconnection. It may also violate the prohibition againstdiscriminating among similarly situated ratepayers [Hous. Inflation and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine are driving up fossil fuel prices and in turn energy rates for customers across the country this winter. DHCD has a toll-free hotline,1-800-632-8175, that is multi-language and will quickly direct you to your local community action agency that can help answer additional questions about eligibility and process your LIHEAP application. Utilities said that few customers responded to pleas to enroll in payment plans or to apply for assistance, and few customers were shut off. States should heed the same recommendations as they set up their own programs to administer LIHWAP funds. The order also applies to small-business customers who have bills at least 60 days past due. Many residents are struggling to pay their bills, including their monthly utility bills, following the COVID-19 crisis and due to the currently high fossil fuel prices. If you need help paying your utility bills or your arrears, visit the Board of Public Utilities' Assistance Programs page. CAPP will be administered by the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD). But the majority of these orders are . Auth. California utilities commission extends moratorium on power shutoffs Tom Wolf, who opposes lifting the moratorium. San Diego International Airport received the $20 million grant as part of the governments Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Eligible government agencies can use our free one-on-one inquiry service. But if you are falling behind on utilities, get help as soon as possible so you are not shut off. "I just want some time to get my money," she said. We know the effects of COVID are still very much front and center for many consumers, Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen said. All in all, 83 out of 578 water utilities submitted plans to shut off service for more than 9,500 customers. She cited lower unemployment and COVID-19 infection rates, and pointed to the latest federal stimulus among the reasons the moratorium could be lifted. Pa. utility shut-off notice: Here's what you can do if you're at risk. The Biden administration is pushing for more economic relief, but has not yet committed to stopping shut-offs. And commissioners said utility companies told them many customers had not set up plans for repayment during the moratorium. Take steps to reduce your overall energy usage this winter, which should in turn help you lower your utility bill. A deadlocked Public Utility Commission earlier this month ensured utility companies could move forward with terminations starting April 1, potentially leaving low-income workers and students without a way to connect to their jobs or schools. Can bge disconnect service winter? Explained by Sharing Culture (Since interest is generally considered to be a penalty for non-payment it is probably included in late fees.). Try now to get LIHEAP funds, Dollar Energy Fund help or emergency assistance, they said. Are we in violation of a law if we do not have a location that is open to the public to serve? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. NRDC and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) have just published a new fact sheet summarizing six federal COVID-19 relief programs that are either dedicated to, or can be used for, low income water and wastewater assistance. When you sign up you'll become a member of NRDC's Activist Network. SoCalGas Request for Extension of Time to Comply with Ordering Paragraphs of Triennial Cost Allocation Proceeding for Small Business Customers in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, CPUC Works to Help Mitigate Higher Energy Bills Utility Customers May Receive Due to Shelter at Home, CPUC Letter to TNCs on COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Response Plans, CPUC Letter to All County Executive Officers re: Essential Wildfire and PSPS Mitigation Work, CPUC Letter to Class C, D Water and Sewer Utilities on Emergency Customer Protections to Support Customers Affected by the COVID-19 State of Emergency, Executive Director's Letter to Wireless Providers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), SDG&E Directive to Provide Information on Planned Service Interruptions, SCE Directive to Provide Information on Planned Service Interruptions, PG&E Directive to Provide Information on Planned Service Interruptions, Executive Director's Letter to Energy Companies, Executive Director's Letter to Water Companies, Executive Director's Letter to Communications Companies, Executive Director's Letter to Rail Companies, CPUC Suspends Renewal Requirements for Low Income Energy and Telco Programs to Assist Customers During COVID-19 Epidemic, Practitioner Alert: COVID-19 Temporary Filing and Service Protocol, CPUC Public Meetings During COVID-19 Pandemic, Executive Directors Letter to Energy Companies, Executive Directors Letter to Water Companies, Executive Directors Letter to Communications Companies, Draft Resolution Ratifying the Executive Directors March 17 Letter; will be on April 16 Voting Meeting Agenda, Cancelled - CPUC Public Forums on SCE Rate Requests, 2020 Wildfire Mitigation and PSPS Preparation, 2020 Wildfire Mitigation and PSPS Preparation Presentation, Utility Consumer Protections During California COVID-19 Outbreak. Any person who is making good faith efforts should never have their services shut off, he said. The decision also calls on utilities to document follow-up efforts with community-based organizations to make sure hard-to-reach customers can sign up for relief programs. These programs are voluntary, and you can opt out at any time. Those enrolled in certain other programs (including Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, USF, and Lifeline) are protected by the Winter Termination Program. However, the question remains as to what actions local utilities can take to collect past-due amounts. One possibility is that you are participating in your city or towns community choice electric plan. John Bel Edwards is traveling to Asia for a weeklong series of meetings with business leaders and policymakers in the hopes of growing foreign investment, Stocks rallied on Wall Street, climbing to their biggest gain in six weeks, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. Customers should make payments toward their utility bills if they can. According to research at Indiana University that looked at a nationally representative sample of households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, 20% of Black households and 28% of Hispanic households reported being unable to pay an energy bill between June and August 2020, compared to just 12% of white households. Income eligibility is evaluated based on your gross household income for the past 4 weeks. When the remaining state or local moratoria are lifted, residential water customers who lose shutoff protections will face billions of dollars in arrears. State officials recommend anyone with a shut-off notice to set up a plan now with their electric, gas or water provider. This chart from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)provides more detailed household income information. "I guess the first day he could file for eviction, he did it," she told us after receiving an eviction notice. Natural Resources Defense Council 2023 Privacy Policy ones. Meanwhile, utility customers have amassed large, unpaid bills, as a majority of the state has been working from home and using more energy. The utility shutoff grace period ended on March 15, 2022 for all water, electric, and sewer customers. Links to the 2020 briefing decks presented to CPUC and CAL FIRE can be found on the utility websites below. Most states passed emergency laws banning evictions and utility shutoffs during the pandemic. If you are a residential customer struggling to pay your utility bills, behind on your payments, or interested in more regular payments, reach out to your electric or gas utility to discuss available payment plans and payment assistance programs that may be available. (Getty Images) Paying . In this post, well focus on what effect (if any) the proclamations have on your existing collections process. If you qualify as income eligible, there are several programs, including: (1) Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federally-funded program that helps Massachusetts residents pay their heating bills; (2) the low-income discount rate program for investor-owned electric and gas utility customers; and (3) arrearage management programs (AMPs) for investor-owned electric and gas utility customers. In the case of small businesses in disadvantaged communities, the payment cannot exceed 5 percent of the customers average monthly bill. COVID-19 As state COVID-19 lockdown orders from Gov. We offered specific program design recommendations to deliver assistance to those with the greatest need; maximize public health benefits by using program funds to protect access to essential water service; ensure accountability for program spending by states and utilities; and generate data to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and determine how to improve upon it. "You don't get medical pay period when you are a temp worker," she explained. Steve Gross CPUC Industry Divisions will accept the submittal of Advice Letters and related documents by electronic mail. KIRO 7 News Seattle facebook feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle twitter feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle youtube feed(Opens a new window), Powerball jackpot winner identified as longtime Boeing employee, Multiple western Washington residents indicted in connection to coast-to-coast drug ring, Seattle firefighters battle massive Lake City building fire for hours, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies after brain aneurysm at 61, Thieves lose ATM ripped out of Lakewood credit union. We are using lanterns to get ready for work.". "I didn't have the $300 they needed," she said. The state regulator also approved a plan that requires utilities including San Diego Gas & Electric to automatically enroll customers who are lagging on monthly payments into a two-year debt relief program.

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