In spite of the temporary mercy the moratoriums were providing to families who desperately needed it, TIME reported that while individual states were being as proactive as possible, in looking at the bigger picture and potential longer term impact, a perfect storm of sorts was brewing wherein “there is no national account of how many customers could lose power, but there are certainly millions of people who risk disconnection at a time when people need their utilities the most. Kids need electricity to attend online classes, which will be the norm for hundreds of thousands of them as schools reopen. They need light in the evening to do homework. And in large swaths of the country facing extreme heat, life without power means no fans or air conditioning. Additionally, cutoffs can increase risks of COVID-19 infection by forcing some people to leave their homes and squeeze into cramped quarters with friends or relatives who have electricity.”
Putting a human face on the crisis, Brandy Wilcoxson, a 42-year-old single mom from Atlanta, bravely spoke on her family’s struggle where with over $1000 in past-due electric bills, her circumstances were growing so dire that “my next move will be probably to hold a sign at the corner saying I have two kids, and asking for help.” Miami senior Lucy Cabrera found her family facing similar peril, 3 months in arrears to Florida Light & Power, living on a tight $700 monthly budget with nearly a third of that going to her utility bills as $240 a month, doing her best to “just send $100 in here and there, and pray for the best.” Younger residents in the same city like Anallive Calle, just 32, mother of 2 children and 8 months pregnant with her 3rd child, living like millions of inner-city families do in rentals where all utilities are included as part of the monthly rent, fell behind on hers and had her power cut off not by the power company but her own landlord. Spoiling the food in her fridge she fed her children with and leaving her powerless to do anything more than file complaints with city bureaucracies, their own months-long backlog of similar complaints to respond to left them unable to do anything to help in her moment of crisis.
Breaking down what the comprehensive feature described as “the patchwork nature of laws in the U.S. controlling access to basic necessities like water, electricity, and gas,” depending on the region of the country struggling residents lived in and the varying kinds of energy they powered their homes with, TIME revealed that not all utilities were in the same position to offer such generous moratorium extensions, such that “depending on where you live, you probably get your utilities through either a big investor-owned utility, a small municipal utility affiliated with your city or town, or a rural cooperative. State utility commissions only have authority over big, investor-owned utilities like Duke Energy or Florida Power & Light, so most state moratoriums did not cover municipal and rural cooperatives, which could proceed with shutoffs in many states…(As a consequence), in most other states, moratoriums are winding down. Within a few months, we’re only going to have five or six states that have moratoriums on shutoffs.” Compounding resident fears, Time’s cover story (revealed) that “though some moratoriums protected customers from accruing late fees, others allowed the fees to pile up, meaning some customers are going to be hit with higher-than-expected bills once they’re expected to resume payments.”
Out West, the wildfires raging throughout the region were complicating problems even further for already-strained households, causing PG&E to launch an emergency Portable Battery program that the Sierra Sun Times explained “is available before, during, and after Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events when PG&E needs to turn off power during severe weather for public safety to prevent wildfires. PG&E's Portable Battery Program (PBP) provides no-cost backup portable batteries for eligible income-qualified customers who live in high fire-threat districts (HFTD) and are enrolled in the Medical Baseline program. Additional eligibility requirements include a reliance on medical equipment that operates on electricity to sustain life. Working in coordination with Community Based Organizations (CBOs), PG&E has identified approximately 10,500 customers who could qualify for this program. The PBP is administered by the following five Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) providers: Butte Community Action Agency, Central Coast Energy Services, Community Resource Project, North Coast Energy Services, and Redwood Community Action Agency. Richard Heath & Associates (RHA), a third-party energy program implementer focused on underserved communities, is also administering the program.”
Doing their part to try and spread word on similar emergency energy assistance programs available around the country, CNBC reported in September that amid a staggering statistics that “about 52% of Americans still say that they’re being financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic” and “75% are worried about paying their bills.” Putting their own resource center together, the network launched CNBC MAKE IT, highlighting “a list of resources and information that may be helpful for those struggling financially right now… You may be able to defer utility bills through the assistance programs most companies offer year round, including major providers such as ConEd, Duke Energy, FirstEnergy and PSE&G. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal program for low-income families that helps with energy bills. While income eligibility requirements vary by state, generally a four-person household earning less than $36,400 qualifies. You can call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline toll-free at 1-866-674-6327 to get information on where to apply for LIHEAP. If you’re struggling to pay your phone bill, the Federal Communications Commission has a program called Lifeline that provides discounted landline or cell phone service to low-income families.”
Looking toward the fast-approaching winter heating season, these agencies and other front-line workers at local Community Action Agencies, non-profit utility assistance organizations and countless others were working overtime to prepare for the approaching onslaught of new assistance applications sure to be coming, Children’s Health Watch drove home in a recently-published policy brief just how central to the health of the most vulnerable among us the LIHEAP program is, noting that “energy insecurity does not usually occur in isolation; it coexists with other hardships, such as housing insecurity. Our research has shown that energy-insecure families are 29 percent more likely to have moved two or more times in the previous 12 months than energy-secure families. Because we know that each hardship experienced by a child independently increases his/her risk of poor health, developmental delays, and other negative health effects, the co-existence of energy and housing insecurity is especially worrisome. Together these hardships seriously undermine a healthy start for many of our nation’s youngest children.”
Driving home the importance LIHEAP plays in helping to stabilize this economic instability during the coldest months of the year, Children’s Health Watch concluded that “research shows that the federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program protects very young children from the risk factors for poor child health that are associated with energy insecurity. Energy insecure families are more likely to move frequently, experience food insecurity, and have poor child health outcomes. LIHEAP attenuates these risks, helping to stabilize families’ housing and to protect children’s health and growth.”
Sources:
https://time.com/5884556/power-cuts-coronavirus/
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/22/resources-that-can-help-you-pay-bills-now.html
https://childrenshealthwatch.org/liheap-stabilizes-family-housing-and-protects-childrens-health/
Reporting by J.B.