Transcript:
As energy costs grow, many families are struggling with utility debt – and at risk of shutoffs.
Marx: “In 2024, we had 350,000 Pennsylvania households experience an involuntary termination of their gas or electric service.”
Elizabeth Marx of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Utility Law Project says shutoffs can trigger a downward spiral.
Without refrigeration, people’s food may spoil. Without air conditioning, they may be vulnerable to extreme heat. And they may even risk eviction.
Marx: “You may be in violation of your lease if your electric and gas is shut off.”
Most states have shut-off moratoriums in winter that prevent utilities from cutting off service during cold weather. But fewer than half of states have summer shut-off protections.
And seasonal moratoriums may not help people whose service was already shut off earlier in the year.
So Marx says a range of solutions are needed – from energy efficiency improvements that help reduce people’s energy use in the first place, to more payment plan options for people to catch up on debt.
Marx: “We need to overhaul the utility collection and termination rules to make sure that terminations are, if used at all, an extreme last resort.”
Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media