Stretch on utility bills may help Lynners

LYNN – Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin is asking utility companies to extend until April 15 the shutoff deadline for low-income gas and electric customers whose bills are in arrears.The combination of a harsh winter, rising fuel costs, rampant unemployment and a residential mortgage foreclosure crisis is creating a difficult situation for many residents.The state’s financial hardship moratorium prohibits utilities from cutting off gas and electric services used for home heating until the cold season has ended.In Lynn, thousands of residents dependent on home heating fuel subsidies are in arrears on payment. Many rely on organizations such as Lynn Economic Opportunity (LEO) to ensure the utility companies abide by the moratorium.Massachusetts law forbids gas and electric utilities from shutting off service to customers in residential buildings for failure to pay in the period between Nov. 15 and March 15, where the delinquency is caused by financial hardship.Galvin requested Thursday that public utilities extend the moratorium due to the severity of the winter and the state’s growing rate of unemployment.”This protection period should be extended this year not only because of the severity of the winter but because of the high number of unemployed at this time,” said Galvin. “Also, this problem may be intensified for tenants in buildings that are in foreclosure.”A co-sponsor of legislation that eventually became the 1979 law, Galvin noted that if utility companies do not agree to the extension, he may seek to extend the time by changing the law, according to spokesman Brian McNiff.Darlene Gallant, the LEO community services director who oversees heating fuel subsidy applications, said utility companies in Massachusetts traditionally have complied with requests to extend the shut-off deadline. “There is no reason to believe the practice will not continue in 2009, she said.”By statute, the utilities only have to go through March 15, but every year the state Department of Public Utilities (DPU) asks them to extend the moratorium through April 30, and they have always complied with that,” Gallant said. “This happens every year, and normally it’s the DPU that requests the extension.”According to Gallant, the DPU has requested an extension of the winter season service termination moratorium until Friday, May 1. “That means the utility companies could not shut off anyone who is under the protection of a low-income discount. Service accounts are coded to reflect that these people are low income and receiving fuel assistance,” she said.”But that doesn’t prevent the utility companies from sending out shut-off notices or requesting payment.”Over 10,000 people from more than 4,500 Lynn households applied for fuel assistance this winter, an increase from the previous year of about 500 households, according to Gallant.”That is a significant increase,” she said.LEO still has resources to assist low-income residents with fuel assistance. “We urge people to come through the door,” said Gallant, explaining that the state recently increased eligibility income levels to include families with higher incomes but still having difficulty paying their heating bills.Anyone eligible and in need of fuel assistance can call LEO at 781-581-7220, ext. 283 and leave their name and address.