Despite the growing concern of heat-related illnesses and climate change, people have far fewer protections from power shutoffs during the summer than they do in the winter. Only 19 states and Washington, DC, bar certain utility companies from disconnecting customers for nonpayment during heat waves, though most states have moratoriums on shutoffs during cold winters. Later this month, Washington will become the 20th state to forbid disconnections for failure to pay during extreme heat.
Even if their state bans shutoffs, residents may be afraid to use their air conditioning if they’ve fallen behind in payments, said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. “Many won’t turn it on because of the bill,” he said. Nearly 20 million households — or about 1 in 6 nationwide — were behind on their electric bills by a total of $19.5 billion at the end of March, according to the association.