Anti-poverty agency: 100,000 facing energy cutoff

May 2, 2008 12:23 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

About 100,000 low-income households in Massachusetts have received gas and electric shutoff notices because of unpaid bills, an anti-poverty agency said today, as it urged those affected to apply for federal and state fuel assistance before a mid-May deadline.

The situtation is a "human disaster," Robert Coard, president and chief executive of Action for Boston Community Development Inc., said in a statement.

Gas and electric companies are barred from sending out the shutoff notices during the winter months. The moratorium expires May 1.

The ABCD, which operates a variety of programs for more than 100,000 low-income residents in the greater Boston area, said the deadline for applying for fuel assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is May 16.

The number of shutoff notices was disclosed in filings by the energy companies with the state, said Susan Kooperstein, an ABCD spokeswoman.

Coard said shutoffs could force some people into homelessness.

"People are facing this catastrophe through no fault of their own," he said. "We have working families -- some with a parent working two and three jobs -- and their total monthly income is about $1,100. How can they pay for these soaring energy bills on top of rent and food in the high-priced Boston economy?"

Mike Durand, a spokesman for NStar, which has 300,000 gas customers and 1.1 milllion electric customers in the state, wouldn’t disclose how many notices the company had sent out. But he said the number of customers who had fallen behind in payments had risen about 6 percent.

He urged customers to call the company and work with it to set up a payment plan, noting that people may well find they qualify for a discount rate and special energy efficiency programs.

“Call us and explain the situation,” he said. “Let us help you. ... Quite frankly, we’re in the business of providing electricity, not shutting it off.”

Deborah Drew, a spokeswoman for National Grid, the largest energy delivery company in the state, with 800,000 gas customers and 1.2 million electric customers, said, "We view the letter as a reminder for customers and a chance for customers to work out payment arrangements with us. A great many customers do call in, work with us and resolve payment issues."