Ohio orders halt to utility disconnects

[flashl]

Low-income Ohioans on payment plans with their natural gas or electric utility won't have to fear having their source of heat shut off for the next three months under an order approved yesterday by state regulators.

The 90-day moratorium issued by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio was inspired by the Nov. 28 deaths of four members of a West Toledo family in a candle-ignited fire that started hours after Toledo Edison disconnected their power.

But the moratorium would not have saved Michele Crawford and her three children if it had been in place last month.

The family had rented a two-story house at 4046 Lyman Ave. a month earlier, but had not opened an account for service.

"They were not in a program," said Ellen Raines, spokesman for Toledo Edison's parent, FirstEnergy

Corp. in Akron. "We do know that we gave them information on the , but they had to apply. We can't do that for them."

Ms. Crawford had made inquiries weeks earlier with the utility about having service transferred to her name or that of her fianc, Anthony Diaz, but she apparently never followed through.

Ms. Crawford, 29; her two daughters, Yaniela, 11, and Victoria, 7, and her son, Ivan, 4, had fallen asleep as they attempted to keep warm. Mr. Diaz escaped the blaze. Ms. Crawford was disabled, and her son, Ivan, was battling cancer.

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[Double T]

1. Damn. I am sick of the crooked utilities with their exorbitant rates.........

that fluctuate at wall street investor's whims. More needs to be done for those in poverty in America.

[flashl]

2. I was surprised to hear that it didn't exist.

[Double T]

3. A 90 day moratorium is NOT enough. People can NOT be left.......

in the cold during the winter months and I fear many more Americans will be put in jeopardy as bushco's phony economy collapses.

[flashl]

6. The invisible American's poverty do not meet the threshold

of many economic discussions in today’s politics. To be eligible for, sometimes, ‘one time’ assistance many must be 200%+ below federal poverty levels.

Why establish a poverty level then say an individual MUST be 200%+ below it to receive help?

[Double T]

7. Government 'numbers' are designed to deceive and foster inaction.

[OregonBlue]

4. Payment plan? For those struggling to make ends meet, they still have to pay the

deposit and come up with the plan "payments" every month. Obviously, they couldn't afford even that so had to forgo heat all together. This is just too sad.

[flashl]

5. In my area ...

We have an option on our utility bill to pay an extra amount each month to go into a fund to pay bills for those who can not afford to pay.

[OregonBlue]

8. Wow. Wonder how many actually do.

[Bitwit1234]

9. I don't know if the still do but the state of Maryland

has a program that people's electricty can not be turned off from November 15th thru I think it is March `15th of the next year. But it might be April 15th.

Of course by April 15th you would have to pay all the back utilities, but at least people won't get cut out in the cold.

[bobbolink]

10. It always takes a death or two to get the attention of lawmakers.

We ought to have a Martyrs Roll.

:cry: