California Report Shows Rising Number of Disconnections of Low Income Utility Customers

The California Division of Ratepayer Advocates recently issued a Status Report on California Energy Utility Service Disconnections finding that the number of low income customers losing utility service due to bill collection methods based on service termination is rapidly rising. The study finds that the number of low income customers whose service was termination grew by 19% in the past year.

Monthly data on New York utility terminations is submitted to the PSC by utilities, but is not regularly published. It can be obtained from the New York PSC through FOIL requests. Last year saw a dramatic increase in terminations in New York. See PSC Reports on Devastating Termination Statistics, April 09, 2009, PULP Network, April 9, 2009; Tim Knauss, National Grid Turns out the Lights for Central New York Nonpayers, Syracuse Post Standard, June 23, 2009.