"We would be helpless." Not all of us... everyone should be prepared for power outages at all times.
On Dec 18, 5:24 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > The real threat to America is a knock out of our power grid. We would > be helpless. > > On Dec 18, 1:03 am, "\"Lone Wolf\"" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Utilities cut off to 1 in 20 US households in 2007 > > By Kate Randall > > 18 December 2008 > > > Utility service was cut off to 1 in 20 households in the US in 2007, > > and 1 in 5 were behind in their utility bills, according to a survey > > released Wednesday. These figures portend a dire situation for the > > current heating season as families struggle to cover expenses under > > the impact of the deepening recession. > > > The survey was conducted by the National Association of Regulatory > > Utility Commissioners (NARUC), a non-profit organization of state > > utility regulators. Results were compiled from statistics submitted by > > utility commissions in 41 states and Washington, D.C. It is the > > largest sample size ever analyzed by the organization, and covers > > roughly half of all US households. > > > The termination of gas or electric service to a household spells > > extreme hardship, with families and individuals forced to go without > > heat, hot water, lighting, or cooking facilities. Unsafe methods of > > coping with the lack of power—including the use of space heaters, > > candles, and the rigging of unauthorized connections—pose a risk to > > health in the form of poor nutrition and sickness and the danger of > > fire and asphyxiation. House fires resulting in death are the most > > tragic outcome and a frequent occurrence in the US. > > > More than 5.7 million US households had their electricity terminated > > in 2007, accounting for 4.7 percent of all electric customers. Of > > these, 1.9 million—or 33 percent—did not have service restored in the > > reporting year. > > > Gas service was cut off to 3 million customers in 2007, a termination > > rate of 5 percent. This rate was double the 2.5 percent cut off in > > 2001. More than half of these customers—or 55 percent—were unable to > > have their service restored during the year. > > > Some households rely on one utility company to provide both gas and > > electric service. Of these customers, 3.8 percent had both services > > cut off and 33 percent of these were not able to have their service > > restored that year. Such customers are denied even the unhappy choice > > of keeping one utility on at the expense of the other. If they are > > unable to pay their entire combined bill, their services are > > terminated. > > > This was the case in the house fire that killed three young children > > and their aunt on October 22 this year in Highland Park, Michigan. > > Energy giant DTE, which supplies both gas and electricity to the city, > > had suspended utility service to the home. It is likely that the use > > of some unsafe heating or cooking method caused the deadly blaze. > > > The rise in utility shutoffs has been accompanied by a steep rise in > > past due payments to the utility companies. In Illinois, for example, > > 550,184 out of 2.9 million gas customers were past due on their gas > > bills as of May 1, 2008, owing a total of $242,530,279. This was > > double the amount owed by past due customers just seven months > > earlier. Many other states face a similar situation. > > > Utility shutoffs are certain to increase as more and more cash- > > strapped households are forced to choose which bills to pay, and which > > to put off, often to avoid being late on mortgage payments. US > > foreclosure filings climbed 28 percent in November compared to a year > > ago. According to RealtyTrac, which tracks foreclosures nationwide, 1 > > million homeowners may be forced from their homes next year. > > > Online Resources Corp. released the results of a survey Wednesday on > > the bill payment patterns of US households. The report, "Short on > > Money, Will Your Customers Pay Your Bill?" studied more than 1,000 > > households and found that growing numbers of American families are > > prioritizing their bills by creating a "delinquency budget." > > > The study showed that mortgage payments are the top priority, as > > increasing numbers of households struggle to stave off foreclosure. > > Despite these efforts, delinquent mortgage payments are up 67 percent > > over last year. Next on the list to be paid are insurance premiums, > > followed by loan payments. Utility bills are farther down the list. > > > Michigan, devastated by the crisis in the auto industry, ranked third > > highest in the nation in foreclosure filings for November, with 1 in > > every 309 households filing for foreclosure. Michigan's jobless rate > > rose to 9.6 percent in November, the highest in the nation. This > > figure will find reflection in both increased utility shutoffs and > > rising past due accounts this winter as more workers find themselves > > jobless. > > > Already last year, more than 3 percent of Michigan residential gas > > customers—89,221 of 2,922,357 households—had their service terminated. > > Of these, only about 10 percent were successful in having their > > service restored, compared to more than 41 percent in 2005. As of May > > 1, 2008, Michigan customers past due on their combined gas and > > electricity accounts owed an average of $986.69 each, compared to > > $154.44 just two years ago. > > > The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) reported Monday that > > utility shutoffs statewide have increased dramatically since 2004. > > There were 63,500 terminations of natural gas in 2007, up from 42,124 > > in 2004. > > > The PUC survey of terminations is part of a report on implementation > > of the Responsible Utility Consumer Protection Act of 2004. More > > commonly referred to as Chapter 14, the legislation passed with the > > support of gas and electric utilities and is aimed at "increasing > > utility account collections and eliminating the subsidization of bad > > debt costs by paying customers," according to a policy statement. > > > Prior to Chapter 14, utilities were barred from terminating service > > during the winter months. Criticized by consumer advocates, the law > > now allows utilities to cut off power during the winter for customers > > with incomes 250 percent or more of the federal poverty level. The > > 2008 federal poverty guideline is $10,400 for an individual, and > > $21,200 for a family of four. The implication is that an individual > > earning $26,000 a year or a four-member family with an income of > > $53,000 should have no excuse for not paying their utility bills. > > > Based on media reports, staff members of the PUC's Bureau of Consumer > > Services compiled an unofficial list of cases where utility cutoffs > > have led to deaths. This list, released in response to a request by > > the Philadelphia Inquirer under Pennsylvania's open-records law, > > identifies 81 such deaths since 1989, the vast majority fire-related. > > Twenty-nine of these have taken place since the passage of Chapter 14, > > including the following: > > > • April 3, 2008: A Brockway worker lost his wife and nine children and > > grandchildren in a fire in a home that lacked gas service. Space > > heaters were being used for heat. > > > • February 18, 2007: Six children and the mother of three of them died > > in a house fire near Waynesburg in southwestern Pennsylvania. The > > family had been without gas since 2005 and were relying on a wood- > > burning stove and additional space heaters in the bedrooms for heat. > > > • November 3, 2007: A fire in Dauphin County killed a two-year-old boy > > and his one-year-old sister. The blaze, reportedly sparked by an > > untended candle, took place a day after PPL Electric Utilities Corp. > > terminated service because the children's parents had not paid the > > bill. > > > Most of the 81 fatalities cited in the PUC list were in the > > Philadelphia area. Entering into the winter months this year, more > > than 8,800 Philadelphia-area households—about 25 percent more than > > last year—are without heat after having their utility services > > terminated. > > > The full NARUC report can be found here.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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