By Spencer Blake | 3TV/CBS 5
The Arizona Corporation Commission voted Wednesday night on new guidelines to protect people who are late on utility payments. The commission began a moratorium on shutoffs two years ago after 72-year-old Stephanie Pullman died when her power was cut-off for a late payment on a 107-degree day. She owed just $51. The moratorium bans utility disconnects between June 1 and October 15.
At the Commission’s March meeting, they were looking at 3 different methods of determining when to prohibit utility cutoffs:
- Use the current moratorium in place
- Prohibit shutoffs based on a temperature threshold
- Prohibit shutoffs any time the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a heat warning
Commissioners voted Wednesday to take the NWS option off the table altogether and to let utility companies choose between the other 2 options. The threshold temperature decided upon was 95 degrees.
