LANSING – State Representative John Espinoza (D-Croswell) today threw his support behind a package of bills aimed at keeping seniors and vulnerable citizens safe during Michigan's harsh winters by requiring utility companies to give longer and more effective notice to customers at risk of a shutoff, adding protections for elderly and mentally disabled customers, and establishing procedures to ensure that no one risks harms or death by living in a home without electricity or heat.
"With heating costs rising and our economy still on the mend, it's not unusual for folks to fall behind on their utility bills," Espinoza said. "The utility companies are generally doing a good job making sure that consumers are notified when they are at risk of having their service shutoff. This plan adds some additional protections to make sure that our most vulnerable residents, especially our seniors, don't get left alone in the deadly cold."
The House plan aims to prevent tragedies such as the death of 90-year-old Phyllis Willett of Vicksburg. Willett was found dead in her freezing Kalamazoo-area home on Dec. 17, four days after her electricity was shut off by Indiana Michigan Power. Her 63-year-old daughter, whom relatives described as mentally disabled, sufered injuries related to frostbite and exposure.
The plan would:
- Prohibit utilities from shutting off a senior's utilities in the winter and require them to work to ensure that those with mental disabilities don't have their utilities shut off.
- Require utilities to give customers at least 15 days notice before shutoff and notify them in person or by certified mail, and give low-income customers who are part of the Winter Protection Program 30 days to pay their delinquent bill before shutting off service.
- Mandate that utilities visit the home of a senior customer who has not restored service within three business days to tell them how they can resolve the situation.
In addition, the plan requires utilities to waive all fees and fines associated with a shutoff if the company failed to provide proper notice. The utility also must waive any costs for resuming service and pay a fine that will go in to the State Emergency Relief Fund, which helps residents who can't pay their energy bills. Utilities would also be responsible for costs the customer incurred, such as damage to the home from burst pipes, if those costs resulted from the company wrongly shutting off power.