"My Elderly Neighbor Almost Got Her Power Shut OFF After She Made A Payment..."

[Karin]

You found it!   

[GOBUCKS]

You found it!

The goggle is strong.

[Gina]

The goggle is strong.

Ever had your yahoo googled?

[docstew]

Ever had your yahoo googled?

I think so. Wanna help me out by demonstrating. 

[NHSparky]

As a current employee of a utility, and former employee of another utility, might I opine with the following:

What. Utter. HORSESHIT.

Now I grant you, rules will vary from state to state, but here in NH, the following is policy to ALL utilities:

http://www.puc.nh.gov/consumer/winterdisconnectionrules.htm

During the winter months, there is increased protection for customers of electric, natural gas and steam utilities. While customers can still be disconnected if they fail to make payments on their gas, electric or steam bills, it is more difficult to be disconnected in the winter time.

From November 15 to March 31, an electric utility may not disconnect a customer’s service:

    If the customer does not use electric service for heating and the balance owed for service provided is less than $225;
    If the customer does not use gas service for heating and the balance owed for service provided is less than $125;
    If the customer has electric, gas, or steam heat, the utility may not disconnect service if the balance owed for service provided is less than $450.

Utilities must seek commission approval before disconnecting the service of residential customers known to be 65 years or older and customers with a known financial hardship.

If you think you qualify for financial hardship status as defined below, please contact your utility for further assistance.

    Section Puc 1202.10 “Financial hardship” means a residential customer has provided the utility with evidence of current enrollment of the customer or the customer’s household in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Electric Assistance Program, the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Program, the Link-Up and Lifeline Telephone Assistance Programs, their successor programs or any other federal, state or local government program or government funded program of any social service agency which provides financial assistance or subsidy assistance for low income households based upon a written determination of household financial eligibility.

In addition to the protections described above, no residential customer can be disconnected during the winter period for non-payment of a deposit or portion of a deposit.

If you are having difficulty keeping up with your bills during the winter months, please contact your local utility. Balanced billing or budget billing arrangements are available from most utilities, and payment arrangements are available from all utilities.

=========================================

There are so many available plans that it's not even funny.  But then again, LIHEAP funding in the area just got cut in half.  Gee, who is currently the occupant of the White House that allowed that to happen?  Oh yeah--and funny how I haven't seen that chode Joe Kennedy pimping "cheap heating oil" from "Oooogo" and the peace-loving people of Venezuela lately.

[zeitgeist]

As a current employee of a utility, and former employee of another utility, might I opine with the following:

What. Utter. HORSESHIT.

Now I grant you, rules will vary from state to state, but here in NH, the following is policy to ALL utilities:

http://www.puc.nh.gov/consumer/winterdisconnectionrules.htm

During the winter months, there is increased protection for customers of electric, natural gas and steam utilities. While customers can still be disconnected if they fail to make payments on their gas, electric or steam bills, it is more difficult to be disconnected in the winter time.

From November 15 to March 31, an electric utility may not disconnect a customer’s service:

    If the customer does not use electric service for heating and the balance owed for service provided is less than $225;
    If the customer does not use gas service for heating and the balance owed for service provided is less than $125;
    If the customer has electric, gas, or steam heat, the utility may not disconnect service if the balance owed for service provided is less than $450.

Utilities must seek commission approval before disconnecting the service of residential customers known to be 65 years or older and customers with a known financial hardship.

If you think you qualify for financial hardship status as defined below, please contact your utility for further assistance.

    Section Puc 1202.10 “Financial hardship” means a residential customer has provided the utility with evidence of current enrollment of the customer or the customer’s household in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Electric Assistance Program, the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Program, the Link-Up and Lifeline Telephone Assistance Programs, their successor programs or any other federal, state or local government program or government funded program of any social service agency which provides financial assistance or subsidy assistance for low income households based upon a written determination of household financial eligibility.

In addition to the protections described above, no residential customer can be disconnected during the winter period for non-payment of a deposit or portion of a deposit.

If you are having difficulty keeping up with your bills during the winter months, please contact your local utility. Balanced billing or budget billing arrangements are available from most utilities, and payment arrangements are available from all utilities.

=========================================

There are so many available plans that it's not even funny.  But then again, LIHEAP funding in the area just got cut in half.  Gee, who is currently the occupant of the White House that allowed that to happen?  Oh yeah--and funny how I haven't seen that chode Joe Kennedy pimping "cheap heating oil" from "Oooogo" and the peace-loving people of Venezuela lately.

Sparky you must have just missed it.  They changed the ad but it still makes me want to  every time I see it.  Once is too much and I have seen it way more times than that lately. 

[NHSparky]

Sparky you must have just missed it.  They changed the ad but it still makes me want to  every time I see it.  Once is too much and I have seen it way more times than that lately. 

Perhaps.  I make it a point to avoid Boston/Portland TV stations (hell, pretty much ALL network broadcasting anymore) and since Commie Joe can't pimp his oil in NH, we don't see it on WMUR much.

[zeitgeist]

Perhaps.  I make it a point to avoid Boston/Portland TV stations (hell, pretty much ALL network broadcasting anymore) and since Commie Joe can't pimp his oil in NH, we don't see it on WMUR much.

I thought I read something about someone around here applying for it in the PPH a few days back. 

 Yup, here we go:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20120108-NEWS-120109774

Several times in the past when the LIHEAP funds didn't quite stretch, she turned to Citizen's Energy, the fuel assistance program started by Joe Kennedy. And she's been trying to get through this year, “but the phone is always busy. I have to set my alarm for the middle of the night one of these nights. It's the only time you can get through.”

She said she is none too pleased with President Barack Obama, who included the LIHEAP cuts in his budget.

“He thought I could heat this place for $214 for the season? I mean, come on. In New England? In Maine?” she said. She said she's just fed up with Washington altogether. “They don't know the little man. They don't know we're living month to month, paycheck to paycheck. And they don't care.”

Home heating oil prices this week in eastern New Hampshire averaged $3.49 per gallon, according to www.newenglandoil.com. In southern Maine, the average price this past week was $3.37.