What happens when you don't pay your light bill

[Tacohitts]

Should have checked before shutting the electricity off in winter

http://www.freep.com/article/20090126/NEWS...6076/1001/rss01

[TitsMcGee]

This is so sad. Let this be a lesson to everyone that if you have elderly neighbors to go check on them once on a while. If someone was looking out for him, maybe this tragady could have been avoided.

[Oh_My_Goth]

Sad.

[jynxxxedangel]

There is a law that keeps Consumers Power from being able to cut off service during the cold months. There should be the SAME for the electric companies. This is deplorable.

[candyman]

I take my old neighbors hot soup every other day for this reason...I scare them somewhat but whatever...they are old and need the attention because even if their utilities are still on they could "be old" and mess something up

[Homicidalheathen]

that sucks ass...I thought they excepted looong extensions now...

OH and I want to add...

This lil thing will save yo life and its cheap to fill

You'll still be cold but you wont die. And you can heat a pot of water ontop for washing in the old kind (like we have, just in case the gas goes out)

Everyone who can should get one....even gas furnaces need electricity to start up...and shit happens.

[aequorea]

This guy owed $1000 in overdue bills. I imagine it takes more than a couple months to rack that up, especially living alone.

It seems like the issue is one of global neglect - nobody at all was watching out for this guy, and he was unable to take care of himself.

I don't think that the responsibility lies with the utility companies (although it is certainly more humane to have a policy against stopping service in the winter).

I agree that it's a terrible thing for a man to die when his death could so easily have been prevented. However, whose responsibility is it to care for him?

I am genuinely asking - what's the solution here?

[TitsMcGee]

This guy owed $1000 in overdue bills. I imagine it takes more than a couple months to rack that up, especially living alone.

It seems like the issue is one of global neglect - nobody at all was watching out for this guy, and he was unable to take care of himself.

I don't think that the responsibility lies with the utility companies (although it is certainly more humane to have a policy against stopping service in the winter).

I agree that it's a terrible thing for a man to die when his death could so easily have been prevented. However, whose responsibility is it to care for him?

I am genuinely asking - what's the solution here?

My personal opinion is that even though they are not "responsible" for this man, the neighbors should have checked in on him due to his age. I'm a firm believer in helping out where I can even though it's not my responsibility.

[TitsMcGee]

Michigan General Attorney, Mike Cox, states "Municipal utilities such as Bay City Electric Light & Power don't have to follow Michigan Public Service Commission rules, which ban power shutoffs to elderly and disabled residents from Nov. 1 to April 1, he said. State-regulated commercial utilities such as Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison Co. must follow Michigan Public Service Commission rules."

WTF is all I have to add to this.