Utility services, including electricity, heat, water, telecommunications, and internet access are essential to health, safety, and daily life. The vital need for uninterrupted utility service was evident before the coronavirus pandemic, but the COVID-19 public health emergency reinforced both the essential nature of utility service and the problem of energy and water insecurity or energy and water poverty. Faced with these challenges, many states and utilities created temporary solutions to help struggling households during the early days of the crisis. But the underlying problem remains – essential utility service is unaffordable for too many.
Faced with these challenges, many states and utilities created temporary solutions to help struggling households during the early days of the crisis. But the underlying problem remains – essential utility service is unaffordable for too many.
Every struggling family knows that falling behind on utility bills comes with the risk of utility disconnection. Instead of ensuring that the most vulnerable in our society have access to essential utility services, state policies permit utility disconnections among medically and economically vulnerable households because of the customer’s inability to afford monthly utility bills. Other policies that impose additional late fees, deposits, liens, and other punitive charges compound the problem by increasing the amount struggling households must pay to access or maintain service.