Are utility shutoffs resuming? This company could leave Missouri customers in the cold

Missouri is in a state of emergency until the end of March. Utility bills are continuing to mount for thousands of people affected by the coronavirus. Heat, electricity and running water are basic necessities that are all the more essential during a pandemic.

So why hasn’t Kansas City-based natural gas company Spire Energy extended its moratorium on utility shutoffs into the spring?

Spire’s temporary pause on disconnections ends Dec. 31.

“We want all of our customers to have access to Spire’s affordable, reliable, clean energy,” a company statement said. “During December’s colder weather, Spire is temporarily suspending disconnections for non-payment in Missouri.”

But other utilities have gone further.

Evergy suspended disconnections for non-payment until March. Several other investor-owned utility companies have announced similar plans.

Current customers with suspended accounts can have service restored with a payment plan and deposit of 1/12th of the outstanding bill, Evergy officials said.

Many other businesses have made extraordinary sacrifices to help flatten the COVID-19 curve, said John Coffman, an attorney for the Consumers Council of Missouri. Yet Spire refuses to come to the aid of Missourians who are suffering.

“We’ve pleaded with utility companies to do what Evergy did,” Coffman said.

Coronavirus cases will continue to surge during the winter months, public health experts say. Our state should brace for a staggering number of infections and deaths. An extended shutoff moratorium into the spring would save lives.

Missourians burdened by financial hardship have been forced to choose to pay utility bills or make mortgage or rent payments or buy groceries during these unprecedented times, Coffman said. Many families have faced homelessness.

To leave anyone without heat or hot water during a pandemic is unconscionable. No family should be placed in that situation. Living with relatives or entering a shelter is exceedingly risky and could expose more people to the highly contagious virus.

Regulators reject disconnection moratorium

Citing the need to protect public health and safety, the Consumers Council of Missouri, which advocates on behalf of consumer interests, sought an emergency order to create a winter utility disconnection moratorium. But the motion was rejected by the Missouri Public Service Commission, a five-member regulatory body chaired by former state lawmaker Ryan Silvey of Kansas City.

The commissioners, who are appointed by the Missouri governor, regulate public utility companies in the state. A recent 5-0 decision to deny the request to suspend disconnections put many struggling Missourians in peril.

“I just want to let the commissioners know that it is absolutely barbaric and sick that they denied a utility moratorium during a global pandemic,” Missouri resident Gillian Parish wrote to the Public Service Commission after its decision.

“There are so many people out of work and trying to get by right now and are unable to pay their utilities. I am angry for my fellow citizens,” wrote Barry Smythe, another Missourian.

Silvey couldn’t legally discuss the decision. The commission determined it did not have the authority to grant the motion. Another filing is being considered, Coffman said.

“We’re extremely disappointed,” he said. “But the effort to try to bend the curve of the pandemic will continue.”

Missouri is one of only a handful of states that have not had the governor or public utilities commission issue a moratorium on shutoffs, the Consumers Council found. Residents across the state looking for relief have been left out in the cold by state government officials.

Off and on since March, Spire and Evergy have suspended cuts to service. The companies continue to offer assistance to customers faced with the threat of disconnection. Each has donated to relief funds to assist as well.

But unless Spire continues its shutoff moratorium after the holiday season, the health and safety of thousands of Missourians could be endangered.

And the consequences will be dire.

Emergency funds for income-eligible families struggling to pay rent or utility bills are available. Contact a local community service organization or visit the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program at www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/liheap for more information.