January 27, 2009
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Frozen To Death
A 93-year-old man froze to death after a power company restricted use of his electricity because he owed more than $1000 on his electric bill.
The electric company sent him a notice a few weeks ago. They then placed a shutoff notice on his front door. They then put a limiter on his electrical line. It would cause a fuse to blow if there was too much electricity being used. The limiter tripped and kicked off his electricity and he was found dead. Here is the link: Link
This has caused anger in the community and across the nation at the power company.
Should a power company turn off electricity during the winter months?
Comments (194)
Or should people pay their bills? And old ass geezers be in old geezer homes?
It shouldn’t, in my opinion, be allowed to turn power off during the winter, but as soon as it gets warm, if the bills aren’t paid, it goes off. However, he did bring it on himself by not paying the bill, but then again, maybe he didn’t have the money.
Also, I only got first this time because Xanga is messing up for everyone else, haha.
As a young married woman who often struggles with chosing which bills should be paid, I must say that they power company is within their rights here. I always try to at least pay a big chunk of my utilities bill- they’re usually more than happy to set up payments rather than resort to shutting off your electricity when heat is necessary to survive. Some people are just too lazy/proud/ignorant or some other such nonsense and won’t try to help themselves. Then again, some people try to live outside their means. Whatever the case was in this situation, while it is sad that the man died, at least he froze to death- it’s supposed to be quite peaceful once you’re numb to the pain…
That’s cold.
What the Hell !
People– a Man Died here- You all should be ashamed of yourselves.. What Happened in My Opinion was Dead WRONG !!
NO the Electric Company should take into consediration those low income people, & Senior Citizens during the winter Months.
Diane
Yes. The power company handled it correctly in this case.
At some point, a line has to be drawn. It makes little sense to indefinately supply electricity to truants. Sufficient notice was given to the man, and power was limited before it was cut off.
Even if there was no way for the man to pay his electric bill, the man had alternatives. A furnace? Shelters, family, and friends are also options.
The bottom line is that a 90+ year-old man should not be living alone if he’s incapable of fully taking care of himself.
There’s failure all around in cases like this. He should’ve paid the bill, family should’ve looked in on him, neighbors should have been more concerned for him, the company should have worked with him better.
I mean, no one wins in a finger pointing game. They simply need to take this and put in steps to prevent this from happening again.
@michealsdianechaos - You’re right. Anybody who refuses to pay their electric bill should have free electricity all winter-long, every winter. This way, everyone can stay nice and toasty at no cost at all.
If there is $1000 owed?
Yes.
Thats very sad about him.
Maybe they should have put him in jail until it warmed up. At least then he wouldn’t have froze to death.
(That was partially tongue-in-cheek. I didn’t read the article and need to know the details before I can form my opinion)
I think they did all they could to prevent shut off aside from actually stealing the money from him (obviously he didn’t have it). It’s hard to say though, he IS really old and perhaps didn’t get the notices and or is senile and didn’t realize he owed any money. Someone should of been looking out for him, I recon…
@michealsdianechaos - Just curious why you capitalized random words that aren’t meant to be capitalized.
@SladeTheGreyFox - I agree!
Come’on !
The Guys Life certinally was worth More then a mear $1,000.00
Life is precious- An Electric Bill is Not, either is Money !
Diane
No they should of waited. The man may not of realized that the bill was not being paid because of the possibility of having any one of a number of illnesses associated with being 93. And did the man have a family? If he did they should have looked out for him.
@SladeTheGreyFox - I agree!
While it is VERY tragic what happened to him, he himself could’ve called someone to help him. (According to the article he didn’t have kids, but I’m sure he knew SOMEONE)
I also think that the electric company should’ve checked on him faster, once it was indicated that he had gone over his alloted electricity.
Poor man.
Nope… I don’t believe they ae allowed to here…
But you know they have ALL kinds of programs now that give assistance to people who need it… It’s too bad they don’t have someone who can review over due accounts and notice that this was a OLD man that might not have had anyone to help him apply for assistance and they could have looked into getting it for him themselves… of course… How much do we really need to make them responsible for?
Wow…
Yes. They are still a business, where their number one goal is to make a profit.
@michealsdianechaos - The Guys Life certinally was worth More then a mear $1,000.00
The guy’s life did not depend on having electricity– he could have stayed warm through other means. Even if the man was without family and friends, homeless shelters do exist. I’m sure he has neighbors.
If the man was too stupid to take care of himself, then there are more immediate problems than the policies of the electric company.
@huginn - Haha, I love your sarcasm.
As cold(no pun intended) as it may seem, its still a business. And they have to make business decisions. We can’t just give away free services to everyone that can’t afford it. Thats punishing the lack of success
On the other hand, people do need to ask others for help, if necessary. People usually do want to help.
Maybe the guy should have tried praying to God– like really really hard.
If there’s faith healing, there’s also got to be faith heating.
this situation sucks…
It’s so easy for people to blame companies for just doing their job.
The man didn’t owe a couple hundred dollars, he owed a thousand. For a house so small that’s several months delinquency.
The electric company can’t show preference due to age. If they had let him slide because he was old, then they would have shit from younger people who didn’t get any slack.
If they just let anyone slide then the company would loose tons of dollars to non-payment and the fees it takes to go after that money. Then the electric company goes bankrupt and jobs are lost.
Who will grieve for the families without money to feed their children then?
Yes.
this is just sad…
An electric company (most I would presume, anyway) is a business. Not a charity. It sounds like to me the company showed him more than enough leniency.
If the community was so concerned, they should have done something when it would have actually mattered.
@huginn - I’m a Christian, and I found your “faith heating” comment to be absolutely hilarious.
I did not post my Opinion to be Made fun of..
I just posted my opinion for you people to think.
Life -Your life is worth more than that amount- Everyones life is Precious !
No One diserved to die in that way..
Life in General should be held Higher than a Utility Bill..
Diane
NO! This is America. No one should freeze to death. Where was help when this man needed bailed out? We’ll bail the rich out so they can pay for their million dollar rugs, jets, etc. A 93 yr old man who can’t work deserves a break!!!
He should deserve what he got. But on the other hand, he’s an elderly. So it might be the power company’s fault for cutting his electricity off. I feel sad for him.
but NO…I’m not spread the wealth. Wonder if he had a blanket on him, mittens, etc. Light a candle???
@michealsdianechaos - “Life -Your life is worth more than that amount- Everyones life is Precious !
No One diserved to die in that way..
Life in General should be held Higher than a Utility Bill..”
I am a 85 year old man living alone and slowly starving to death. Please, mail me a check for $1,000 so I can buy food and pay my utility bills. Remember, every life is precious!
Where’s the socialist government when you really need them?
This really pisses me off. My Grandfather is going to be 90 this May. He gets disoriented and confused. He’s got the money, but gets lost in time. Even though he doesnt have Alzheimer’s, he still forgets that it’s not 1975 sometimes.
That electric company should be held liable. No one knocked on his door. No one realized that a 93 year old man lived in that house-not some skank that didn’t give a hoot or some crack head. A WWII VET for heaven’s sake.
To protect and be served a crock. Nice. just nice. I’m so glad my grandfather has family that calls on him and checks on him daily.
Jerks
someone should get put in jail over that, I’d say his credit should have been hit, but that is horrible!!
i’ve always been told that the electric company cannot turn off electricity during winter. that’s all news to me. i think that’s ridiculous, what’s $1000 to an electric company? as if they need it that desperately. and if they’re hurting from the economy, well that $1000 won’t get them very far. it could go either way.
Just in the way an unpaid credit card will eventually be shut down, the same should happen for power companies. If you let people go on using power willy nilly without paying, don’t say anything when Con ED and the like start begging for a bailout.
@CrunchyMountainMomma - ”Where’s the socialist government when you really need them?”
You’re so right. In any other country, people would gain +100% resistance to Frost.
“That electric company should be held liable. No one knocked on his door.”
There were notices. I would think that the electricity going off after months of unpaid bills would have been a sign.
It is not the job of the ulities company to play nanny for its entire customer base.
There should have been someone looking in on him. Such a shame. I saw there was no mention of family. Just a neighbor across the street.
@StewieIsMyHero - I was wondering the exact same thing..
no that’s cruel! all these people saying yes… how would THEY feel if a loved one of theirs, or they themselves froze to death in their own home?
No in my opinion they should not turn of the power during the winter months. When it is warmer maybe. It is sad what has happened. Think about the economy and what you all are going thru to make ends meet? Can a 90+ year old man do what you do? Is it fair to expect that of him. If he cannot afford to pay his electricity bill how can he afford a retirement home? People are cruel and heartless. One day it will be you at that age. You all are not invincible. And another thought maybe that he had no family? This man had no family.
The company may have been doing its job, but its job causes a death… it is no longer a job. And what about mothers with children in the some dire financial situation? What if it had been a family with a single mother and two young children? How would you feel then? People lose their source of income all the time right now.
This is very sad and should not be up for judgment by you or any one else as to whether it is right or wrong on his part. It was wrong for him to die and you all are justifying it by saying the company was doing it job… Before anyone makes a verbal assumption look into everything. And companies should do the same.
@CrunchyMountainMomma - amen!!!
have some mercy man….
certainly not in the winter months. especially to elderly people.
oh my god. this is awful.
@malissa1578 - The company may have been doing its job, but its job causes a death… it is no longer a job. And what about mothers with children in the some dire financial situation? What if it had been a family with a single mother and two young children? How would you feel then?
Excellent comment.
The assumption on the ultities-side is that the consumer is reasonable human being capable of taking care of himself; and that if power were really cut, he’d be responsive. If the man called in and if power company fully understood the situation, I’m certain that they’d be happy to make special billing arrangements.
Anytime power is cut to a home, there is always a finite risk of it being life-threatening. It is beyond the resources and abilities of the power company to personally follow-up and make house-calls to its entire customer base.
thats insane, HE WAS ABOUT TO PAY THE BILL.
Wow, that should never happen. There needs to be some way that people can stay warm in the winter without going broke.
while this is very tragic… i don’t believe the company to be at fault here. Shouldn’t his family have made an attempt to foot the bills?
I think that’s a messed up way to die, but yes the power company handled it right, however I feel that this is a catch 22. Yes they handled it right but the man was 92. That in that sense dosen’t seem right to me but, ther is not much left to say, the guy is dead now.
~Alexx
@huginn - lol your statement is fully agreeable with.
@Xcholo4u - cold as ice.
Well, if he’s dead, then at least his body was preserved in slight if he froze to death.
I’d rather freeze to death than die of burning to death.@huginn - even God makes sense sometimes, he wouldve been like “pretend you’re a prophet of mine, and squat at someone else’s house and bum off them!”
But dude hes 93 years old
Where is gona cough up 1000 to pay for his bills
Shouldnt we look into his financial situation first
Before cutting off his electricity
& its winter* too
Such a trageic event
EDIT :
So he does have the money to pay* it was right on his table but the Hydro people never looked into that
Doesn’t this man have family or friends? Couldn’t they have taken him in or helped him pay his bill? The electric company can’t let someone owe thousands of dollars even if they are old and it is winter. I’m sure they assumed he’d find somewhere else to go if it was that cold. Of course they look pretty evil because he died, but as many others already said, there are shelters, agencies, and probably family that would have been willing to help him.
We have the “cold weather rule” around here. The electric/gas company can NOT disconnect a residence for failure to pay between November 1st and March 1st. Before or after is fair game. So if one goes all winter w/o paying, they have a hefty bill to reconcile come the beginning of March or risk a disconnection.
Figures this happened in Michigan…
I think the company had their rights, I mean, how are they supposed to know this man is 93 without going through his files? Where were his neighbors? Why didn’t they go check on him? He could have received some help from them. I think family, friends, and neighbors are to blame.
The end result is very sad, but what option do companies have? People die in the summer as well from heat exhaustion. There aren’t many months in the year (at least where I live) where you can live without a furnace or a/c. So maybe they can only turn off the electricity during April & May and September & October? No, that’d be even more absurd. If he was unable to pay his bills there were other options. If he was unable to seek out other options for whatever reason then somewhere else society has dropped the ball. You really can’t blame the company though.
yes, they are still a company, and to them, this man was just another name that owed money. especially after multiple notices, and warnings, the company should be allowed to shut off electricity.
@steph843 - There aren’t many months in the year (at least where I live) where you can live without a furnace or a/c
Where do you live?! You should visit California sometime– it’s awsome year-round. =P
@huginn - You’re so right. In any other country, people would gain +100% resistance to Frost.
WoW reference?
This is so sad. No, I don’t think the power company should have turned his power off. They ultimately caused his demise. It makes me sick to think that companies value money over peoples lives.
@huginn - LOL – the same with Hawaii….
no, that’s just cruel.
@michealsdianechaos - I agree with you. that is no way for a person to die in america. and this was someone who put his life on the line to served his country in a younger man’s clothes.
I don’t know if the first few commenters actually read the article, but according to the link Dan provided it did incident there was money on his kitchen table and that it was a painful death. Also being that it’s in MI, the temperature there is dreadfully cold. The electric company should have investigated farther before consider shutting down the electricity and that shouldn’t even be an option for in this case. (I mean how much harder is it to knock on someone’s door and speak with them for a few minutes?) that few minutes could have this man’s life!
for crying aloud, this man was 93 yrs old…there got to be more dignify way to leave this world than freeze to death…alone. how can anyone not feel sorry for this man?
alonggg time ago my mom wouldnt let me keep my hamster in the house so i had to put them on our closed in porch and the next morning i went to feed them and they were frozen, it was saddddd
which reminds me i should go let my dog in….
I think the upsetting thing about this situation was that he survived WWII, but he couldnt escape an unpaid bill. : ( this was sad to read in the morning. I really cant determine who’s at fault or who’s right. Both sides are equally *guilty*, but if the power company gave him an exception, everyone’s going to stop paying in the winter…
But my own opinion, I dont think he should have died from no electricity and hypothermia. He risked his life in WWII and he deserved a better and more dignified death.
Apparently not!
Electricity is not a right. It is a commodity. You can purchase it or not.
It is a travesty. I understand why they did it, but this is a case where justice and what is “law” are at odds. Mercy has to fit into the equation somewhere.
It’s a terrible thing what happened, but I don’t think the company should be held liable for what happened. An electric company simply cannot ‘look in’ on everyone or be responsible for everyone’s well being.
Sad, so the power company sentenced him to death? They can’t provide a free service. I hope if I make it to 93 I have a loving community/family that visits me and checks up on me and welcomes me in their homes if I can’t afford my electricity.
nor in the summer months,,, if ears wants to dole out free stuff,,, gas, electricity,,, and water,,, and then tell people to fend for themselves,,,,
public utilities have killed more people than all wars combined,,,
source: routers news….
No, I live in AZ and they can’t turn it off in the summer because old people get heat stroke. Either freezing to death or dying of heat in your own house in this day and age is just wrong. The electric company should be held accountable, whats a few hundred dollars to a multimillion dollar company? Apparently worth more than a lonely old man’s life.
That is sad!
@michealsdianechaos - Diane, I completely agree with you!
@huginn - Yup.
It would have been no different than dying of heat exhaustion during the Summer. Most states have financial assistance for electric bills during these situations. So, yes, the electric company should be able to turn off the electricity. That doesn’t make the story any less sad but still.
it’s not fair that stupid greedy business can decide whether or not someone lives.
no they shudnt be allowed to
remember that case a while bak of the dad who wuz charged with murder when hiz daughter died of hypothermia while walking home frum their broken down truck in subfreezing temps well i think the electrik company iz az guilty az sin but i bet you no one iz gunna charge them with murder
Of course. If you don’t pay the bill, they will shut off your power…it’s that simple. If he had called them, I’m sure they could have worked something out. I’m really sad that he died…that’s awful. He really should have had someone looking in on him.
In Dallas we’ve had the exact opposite issue come up, and sometimes the power company will agree not to shut off power during the summer.
I specifically remember this happening summer of 2006 when I was a volunteer at the food pantry in my home town. I remember because TXU made us be the people who handled the red tape for people who qualified for the program.
That summer was my last summer in the Dallas area, and it was especially hot. I remember my parents kept the thermostat at 82 degrees because if we kept it much lower the air conditioner would basically never stop, and our electric bill would go through the roof.
Heat like that can kill, and I agreed that the power company shouldn’t have shut off the power to anyone.
So, no, they should not. Specifically, the power company shouldn’t shut off the power when the weather can kill.
Well, yeah, the electric co did everything okay. I mean, it sucks, but they’re a for-profit business, not a public service. As much as we think electricity is a necessity, it is still not free for the taking.
On the other hand, where I come from, the power companies won’t shut you off in the winter. In fact, they have special programs for people who can’t pay their bill in the winter on account of having to pay for heating, too.
@SladeTheGreyFox - Agreed you smart, smart boy you.
@huginn - I agree. Sadly enough, you should never let a family member live alone if they are 90+, especially on their own.
I think the company did what they did on procedure and if he wanted his f*cking heat, he should have paid them.
*shrug* He asked for it.
If he had just called the company I’m sure they could’ve worked something out. It’s not the utility company who should be giving out free services to people who can’t take care of themselves. He could’ve called 911 or something. There ARE alternatives!
Jesus. People need to stop blaming others.
I think the electric company did just what they had to. Taking this case, however, changes the situation. Because of what they did, a man died. Had he not been 93 years old, there’s a good chance he might have been able to withstand the cold, or be able to find help for himself, but the electric company probably didn’t know there was a 93 year old man living there. It’s a sad story, yes, but it has to be seen as a bigger issue – someone didn’t pay their bill (likely for a few months) so their power gets cut. That’s just how it is.
Where I live, the power utility does not shut heat off when the temperatures dip below a certain point. I do not think they should have cut off his electricity. I’m wondering how his bill got that high in the first place. Being elderly, I doubt he is simply refusing to pay his bill. I’d like to know if he lived with anyone else or had anyone checking on him. It’s terrible that he died.
Kathi
yes. it is unfortunate but ultimately it is the individuals responsibility to pay for their power bills, or LEAVE THE HOUSE WHEN IT GETS TOO COLD. Also, from the amount of money it’s not like they cut his power off the day after a failed payment; they gave him time and he still did not comply.
if he didn’t have the money he should have lived in a smaller apartment or had a roommate, etc etc. The power companies are businesses, not social services.
@bodyheartmindsoul - that’s easy to say when the bill isn’t coming out of YOUR pocket
“Schur’s neighbor, Herndon, said Schur had a utility bill on his kitchen table with a large amount of money clipped to it, with the intention of paying that bill.
Right now the city said the situation is still under investigation. Marvin Schur was a World War II veteran”
Dan, you left out these pieces of info. With the intentions of paying, it’s sad that he died. In another breath, he also did take his sweet time to do so, and then how did he barely die before paying it?
Also.. people have fireplaces in houses, a fire is a good way to keep warm. Also, asking or telling neighbours what’s going on is ALSO something good to do.
Lastly, the fact that he is a WW2 veteran shouldn’t get someone free electricity. You should get respect, but not free things.
@michealsdianechaos - Likely there’s no way for them to know his particular circumstances. If he appealed to them and they shut off his power anyway, it’s a different story. People get evicted from their homes when they can’t make rent or mortgage, even if they’re 93. Just the way things are.
No, not if they want to be humane. They should have waited until winter was done. Than they can cut him off and make him get it from another place. Not before hand. This is sick. !!!
I wonder if the neighbors had been more “neighborly” and actually tried to help the poor guy, there wouldn’t be a need for their “outrage.”
@Still_groovy - It’s the same here. They can’t shut your heat off. Which I’m happy for. I have a baby in the house. If something like that would have happened in my household I don’t know what I would have done. =S
In certain parts of the country, you should not turn off the man’s electricity, like Alaska or Minnesota where it get extremely cold in the winter. I mean use some common sense. I know they were in the right to switch it off because he didn’t pay his bill. But geez have some compassion.
Well, I have a neighbor with cancer who obviously can’t get a job. She’s very, very ill.
She owed the power company 3 months worth (about 300 dollars) and they shut it off.
She uses oxygen when she sleeps and couldn’t use it without power. They pretty much said, “fuck you and your cancer” and left it off.
Seeing as the man was 93, he was probably getting SS and maybe a pension– and maybe he had more pressing bills.
That’s terrible.
Oh man, I live not far from where this happen and let me tell you, it’s been COLD.
It really is very sad and I wish that there was someone that could have helped that old man out. I think the real crime is that no one was looking out for him.
they have the right to, but it’s dangerous and a bit unhumane. he could’ve used a kerosene heater or something in a well ventilated part of his house. though maybe they shouldn’t have rescrited his power so much in the winter months.
OMG!!
I’d like to know all of the details of his autopsy and the history of his light bill and why it didnt get paid.
I think in all fairness, however, if a 93 year old man can’t pay his bill it should be taken into consideration and some sort of plan worked out. We don’t know the details of his life at the moment- if he was the sole provider for his house- if any of his family was helping him- who knows.
In the middle of a recession and the power company cuts him off from heat?!?
May their children (the power company) know the true feeling of the icy breath of death on their necks.
@Allen_Oz - Ya know, hind site is 20/20 and if any of his neighbors read your comment, they probably feel guilty. Where is the sense of community these days? 3 eprop to your comment
Based on the result, the process is flawed.
Perhaps, the power company should have to report a pending cut-off notice to the police. Then the police or some social worker must visit the location to ensure that they have a verbal face/face confirmation of the cut-off notice and that the occupants have other means to stay warm under freezing temps, or cool in the tragically hot climates for the August heat waves.
I suppose I look at this as I do 911 services…if your phone is cut off, you can still dial 911.
Is money worth more than an individuals life?
What ever happened to taking care of one another, giving a person food, clothes, shelter…
IMHO, the electric company should be charged with involuntary manslaughter and honestly, those who made the decision should have to face jail time, fines and for that matter the company should have to face hefty fines!!! Followed by a 5 year probationary period in which the company is NOT allowed to increase prices to cover the fine.
@reniazen - I can relate to paying bills, but come on. In this situation the circumstances were extenuating- we are talking about a senior citizen, who froze to death. True it might not have been a painful death, but it is something that could have easily been avoided.
Digginer further into the situation, why was it that he was having problems keeping up with his bill? Was he the sole provider? Did he have to choose between lights or food? Tough questions during a recession, but bottom line, no one should loose their life in the name of almighty profit.
Yet again, this is a case of just that.
@addicted81 -”Then the police or some social worker must visit the location to ensure that they have a verbal face/face confirmation of the cut-off notice and that the occupants have other means to stay warm under freezing temps, or cool in the tragically hot climates for the August heat waves.”
and really it doesnt take much of the county resources to do that. I mean, for god sakes, the economy is not where it used to be, and he was SENIOR! jesus.. I applaud your comment.
honestly, they could’ve waited until spring and then just shut his power off completely…
@maebemaebenot - mercy is for the weak, COBRA KAI!!!
seriously though, this is america, as sad and pathetic as it is, no one in this nation has any mercy or thought for anyone other than themselves. we are a society and culture that derives pleasure and amusement from other peoples suffering. it is a sick and disgusting thing and it only seems to be getting worse.
I would say it depends
@cognoscere9 - Oh quite true; the idea that a man (possibly) lost his life for $1000.00 is terrible. Perhaps it is better said that there are too many people who aren’t in a life or death situation who suffer the attributes I described. I do not, obviously, know the extent of this man’s situation. But, as I said, more people should be aware that if they were put in this situation, their family would not be able to blame the power company legally. I suppose I should have clarified some of these things;)
Wow, that’s a hard call. It makes me sad that the man didn’t seek help from friends or a church or somewhere. The electric company is just a business. It would be lovely if businesses all were compassionate, but that is not their nature.
I think they did the right thing by shutting off his power. The man should have seen the notice and at least made some effort to better himself. Try to pay off the bill. Stay with a friend. There are several things the man could have done differently. However, I am sorry that he had to die because of something as silly as this.
i think theres a failure on many peoples shuolders here… the power companies, the man, the mans family… its just a very sad situation overall…
yep, cut the power.
pay yo bills.
It’s like asking if the cable company should cut your cable the night before the big game.
Whatever, it’s not the company’s problem.
The man who died was also a WW2 vet. Sad. It’s more than wrong.
I didn’t read the article either, but really..the company did give him sufficient notice. If he didn’t have family to call on, he could’ve gone to the shelters…a charity might’ve liked to help with him his bill. He had options.
His neighbors should’ve looked in on him…and if the company when they spoke with him noticed that he didn’t seem all there…they should’ve called someone to check on him to see if he could take care of himself alright.
Alot of communities…at least the ones out here, will hire someone to check in on the elderly in particularly hot or cold months…and I’m not sure if this one did that…or anything.
Even if the company had given his an extra month leniency…he probably would’ve died a month later instead of now. Yes, it’s sad. But you’re probably ignoring another detail — this is probably not a lone incident. More elderly and young people have probably frozen to death or suffered from frostbite because the economy’s so bad.
We should all be thankful that we’re mostly warm right now, and not dead or struggling to survive ourselves.
My family had to turn the heat down too, in this slightly drafty house, because this is an all electric house and the bill was nearly as high as that guy’s. I haven’t been complaining, since I know we’re fortunate to have ANY heat…even if I do shiver alot these days. Especially when we’ve had alot of 20 below weather here.
Dude… he didn’t pay.
They shut it off… he didn’t have/get help.
Personal responsibility, anyone?
No, they shouldn’t have done that. It is so mean.
what can they do? once they let him slide, they got to let others slide. i bet he wished he paid his bill now. …or maybe he did this on purpose as a sick form on euthanasia. hey, he was 93, right?
No.
But somebody (social services?) should have been looking into the situation. If he was having trouble getting enough money to pay the electric bill, he may have been having other difficulties as well.
Power companies should not be cutting power during extreme weather; to do so could be considered a form of murder.
@ScarletMoth - even if it was i would be ok with it. It’s not like there’s a huge number of people not paying their bills. haven’t you ever heard of philanthropy? There is not that many electric companies, therefore whoever is running those companies is making big money. They can afford to help a few people who are that severely in need. Where I live, the electric and gas companies are not allowed to turn off someone’s service in the winter.
And people don’t take advantage of it. Everyone knows that that’s the law and everyone I know still pays their bills. Most people donate money in the winter to help those who can’t afford their gas or electric bill, but it really goes to the company b/c some people aren’t paying their bills because they can’t afford it.
anyway, moral of the story: big rich companies can afford to swallow a couple people’s bills.
and i can’t believe how many people are saying that they did the right thing. people are so selfish. money isn’t the only thing in the world everyone. it’s important to help out those in need.
@MrsMok - people should pay their bills, yes but ‘old ass geezers’ are sometimes perfectly capable of living in their own homes and caring for themselves. my great grandmother lived in her own home until she died at 96 years old. she did not need to be in an ‘old geezers’ home
No. Maybe they could have called the man and worked out a payment plan or something…
@huginn - I would have to completely agree with huginn here. A power company is a business, first and foremost, not a charity.
@haloed - ’he asked for it”
are you kidding me?
I’m glad there is humanity and decency left in the world. sorry you don’t seem to have any
It could’ve been postponed, the electricity being cut off, for another day that wasn’t so… lethal.
It should be illegal if it would be possibly fatal, as in this case.
hell, i’d probably turn tricks to keep electricity going (but it pays to have a well-banked roommate
)
What ever happened to the good old fire in a barrel? Flammable materials are cheap.
@michealsdianechaos - The people you mention are exactly the people that the energy assistance programs are there to serve. This man should have applied for energy assistance, both the regular program and the proactive program. He also should have paid SOMETHING on his bill to avoid being turned off. Even $10/per month will avoid a shutoff in winter.
Just as you wont work without being paid, the utility company wont work for you without being paid something.
I realize I sound like a jerk who thinks everything is about money. It isn’t and shouldn’t be. It is sad that this man died in his home due to lack of electricity. I totally agree that someone should have been checking in on him.
to me, yeah its sad to hear this happened.
but the man was responsible for his bills, plus he had to know sooner of later this was to happen.
he should of had top priority to pay his bills especially during these winter months.
the electric company was just doing their job.
but @ the same time, you think maybe they’d have more compassion.
If they aren’t getting paid, yes.
@addicted81 - best comment here. i agree whole heartedly.
This is one of those situations where the human condition should come before “policies”. I can’t speak for everyone so I will speak for myself. As cold as it is in some places, there SHOULD be a mercy clause in these cold months. A grace period. Some kind of plan set up. This man died because he had no heat. He probably couldn’t afford it. Maybe he had to choose between eating and keeping warm and he fought hard to choose one over the other. And because of it, he lost his life. I don’t see how anyone could say the company was “fair” or that the man should be in a home and so forth. If you live in a state where it gets incredibly cold or at the least bit really nippy, you need the heat and the light. It is a given. When it’s warm, it’s really another story.
We can say what the man should have and where he should be. Or whom exactly should be around him and all that. But what if he could barely make it around places? What if he had no family? What if everyone around him assumed he was okay, wondered if he was okay but never physically checked up on him? We don’t know the story. All we know is that a man died because the electric company shut everything off. And he died.
So that’s how it is in the world. Great.
WWII Veteran, he was.
Ah; I have doubts that a 93 year old could easily make money to make up for bills; I don’t think electricity should be shut off during the winter, especially where it snows; in Florida, I think people can survive (literally) without heat, but the picture doesn’t look like a place that would be habitable without a little warmth (a fire, at least!).
@Alle_in_Ashe - Losing cable before a game isn’t really a life or death situation though…
i guess they didn’t know he was 93 and probably by himself
I had always heard that gas and electric companies weren’t allowed shut-offs until April.
Well, he shoulda paid his bills.
It is NOT the company’s job to make sure he’s alive and well. If he couldn’t pay his bills, then he could have built a fire, or covered up in blankets, etc. Even at ninety-three, instinct should have shown that he was too cold for comfort. It’s too bad that he died, but the company is not to blame.
that sucks
his fault
@MorningAngel - If he was capable of living at home, wouldn’t he have paid the bill? Wouldn’t someone acting in his behalf have paid the bill? I’m not necessarily trying to argue with you, and it was definitely a bitch move on the power company’s part, but where is this guy’s family? If he was as capable as you say he could have been, why is he now deceased?
No. They can surely wait to deal with overdue accounts until the spring. I live in Canada and that would never happen up here. In most provinces you cannot even be evicted during the winter months.
I live in MI and the gas and electric companies will shut off year-round. the gas company, however, sends little inserts with every bill stating that if you call them, you can make arrangements to not have your heat shut off in the winter. I don’t get those same inserts with my electric bill (as in this area heat comes from gas), so I don’t know if the electric company has winter shut off prevention plans.
my question is, why did the electric company let his bill get to be $1000+ past due?
What about people who live in climates so hot & humid, that they could die in the SUMMER? Why don’t we just force companies to provide free electricity year-round! YAY!
Ugh.
Of course they have every right to. They’re providing a service and after a couple warnings they ended their service. Making them responsible is about as dumb as providing health care for illegal immigrants…
@melinnn - depends on who’s playing.
heh.
I suppose it should, and people should realize, when they haven’t been paying the bill, that certain steps will have to be taken to survive in the event that the electricity gets shut off. He obviously had enough notice to be aware of the problem and could have made plans to stay with a friend or relative, or at least, if he was going to be stubborn and stay there, he could have fixed the place up in such a way that he would probably still have been uncomfortable, but been able to survive. This is an unfortunate occurrence, but I guess the power company made the right decision.
I wonder if people’s answers would be different in the following scenario: pregnant wife of a soldier away on military business for an extended period, with two children, two and three years old each. It could have been a widow or single mother; point is, she’s alone and must take care of the children. Consider the situation in which their power got cut off and they ALL froze to death. The children had to watch their mother die, and the mother could do nothing to help the children. I’m just saying, one would be committed to use the same answer in both cases, but I personally would have a more difficult time with this one.
I think the whole situation sucks. But I do think the electric company was well within its rights to shut off the electricity. After many notices, he should have paid. It is very sad that he passed away because of this, but all he had to do was contact the company.
@michealsdianechaos - agreed. i understand the need to run a business accordingly but in direly cold months, to shut off electricity is cruel. i wouldn’t argue if they shut the electricity off in the summer.
@MrsMok - I totally agree that his family should have been looking in on him, and probably should have paid the bill for him. I would hope that, at that age, he wouldn’t have been completely alone where ever he lived, but some kids don’t want to have anything to do with their ‘old geezer’ family and just ignore them. Perhaps he was sick and couldn’t get to the post office or mailbox? He may not have been capable at all!! I just wanted to throw it out there that not all the old people need to be stuffed into homes
It is unfortunate and sad, but I don’t know in this case… I mean, if the electric company serves a large number of customers, it becomes very difficult to follow up on EVERY customer who is behind in payments. He was given several weeks notice too, it wasn’t like they just suddenly cut it off.
Still, in this case, it seems he might’ve made it if not for the limiter that was installed –I see no reason to use one of those. And I don’t think it would be entirely unreasonable to wait until it becomes somewhat warmer to cut electricity.
As for him being a veteran –this is a bit of an aside–it’s sad but true that many veterans often end up struggling. PTSD often makes it hard to find employment and live a normal life, and not all of them are lucky enough to have family with the means to support them.
who came up with the idea to charge for electricity anyway?
theyll find a way to charge for air too. O WAIT! i think they already do.
That’s sad but he did bring it upon himself since he didn’t pay his bills. Still though..
Money makin’ is a bitch.
It’s hard to say. It’s not entirely the electricity company fault. They were only doing their job. On the other hand, it is winter. They can compromise and find some other alternative to help this poor old man to pay his electric bills.
I have to wonder why he was living alone. Shouldn’t someone have been helping take care of this guy? It is a business so yes because he got warning about it. That is pretty cold though.
It’s definitely a shame that this man had to die this way. I feel that the electric company gave him more than enough time to pay the bill and it’s not their responsibility to help the man find financial assistance. I would say family and friends should have stepped up to help him, but how would they know he was going through hard times if he didn’t tell anyone? I’m sure he kept the fact that he was struggling to himself like I often do.
That man was 93 years old. They definitely should have waited until it became warmer, at least. At that age, sometimes people have NO ONE to look after them. What a horrible way to go.
@huginn - WELL SAID!
‘Anytime power is cut to a home, there is always a finite risk of it being life-threatening.’ My thoughts exactly. Why should any of us ever pay for electricity ever again? I live in Florida…it could be life threatening for me to be without air conditioning during the Summer months. It gets dark here…EVERY NIGHT! Without lights, I could trip, fall and suffer a life threatening head injury! Not to mention, how would one eat without a fridge?!?! Unspeakable!
He had a responsibility to A.) make sure his bill was paid; he had the money, but was not responsible enough to get it to them…the rest of us do it every month, it cannot be that hard to accomplish and B.) look out for himself…family, a friend, a neighbor, a freakin’ homeless shelter…anything. He didn’t do any of the above. He didn’t value his own well being, so someone please tell me why the rest of us should be heart sick over it??
“The city manager said city workers keep the limiter on a house for 10 days, then shut off power entirely if the homeowner hasn’t paid utility bills or arranged to do so.”
he had the option to fix it but did not. if this was my father or grandpa i would be upset and sad but would not sue the city or power company. he made a choise and very bad one. he was ultimatly resposably for the bill not the power company. that is whats wrong with america in todays time no personal respondsabilty (just like my spelling it sucks get over it).
@smiiiileanyways - i am always “about to pay the bills” when the bill collector call. now do i not allways. bad argument.
@phuck_diz_shiz - it was not always 1000.00 it built up to that amout over a couple of months. and it is not the hydros job to look at his bank account.
@exquisite_christine - what about the mans accountabilty?
@bodyheartmindsoul - the company did not deside, the old man made that desion.
The power company was right in what they did. It’s a tragedy that the man died, but he should have paid his bill. The company can’t be responsible for everyone’s personal situations. It’s not their job to baby sit the elderly, nor can they afford to just keep people’s power going when they aren’t paying their bills.
The company can’t know if he’s sick or if he has dementia or something. There’s that funny little thing called HIPAA that prevents anyone from having access to that kind of information. So if he didn’t tell the company then they would have had no way of knowing that he was having any problems remembering his bills or anything.
Free market baby.
@petitenoirtenue - but he had the money to pay the bill and chose not to. who is the sick one the old man, the old mans family, the old mans neibores they all knew what was happing but did nothing to help.
@bodyheartmindsoul - but he was not in need he had the money read the story. he chose not to pay it.
@chchs - oh you’re right about the money thing, i didn’t read it. they still shouldn’t have shut it off though.
@bodyheartmindsoul - what were they supposed to do. if that was the case no one would pay their bill. i know it sucks but they gave him options which he ignored. they did the right thing. the old man did not.
@huginn - yeah i’d say i have to agree with you on this. they can’t sit there and profile clients to see who’s of age and who they should give a discounts to. my mom told me if i have trouble paying my bills i need to call the people and talk to them and work something out. we don’t know what happened, but the company followed protocol.
This is not cool. As to those getting angry about people making puns over a man’s death, you need to chill out. You can’t argue that the company didn’t give him the cold shoulder. It was not very ice of them at all.
Is this for real? How did they let it get that far behind without trying to help him? This is just another example of how cold and uncaring this world has become.
@tvPUFF - Technically it was cool…freezing in fact
Lame jokes aside, yeah it was pretty sad what happened but like someone else said: electricity is a commodity. It is a privilege not a right.
Immoral? When looking at the smaller picture yes, but an electricity company is a business and they can’t always look into individual people and make decisions according their circumstances.
But it’s still very sad
@Dare2BDiferentt -
i agree.
The power company has the right to do that. But it’s very sad for the old man.
I think the electric company should have given him warning that day if they were shutting the power off so he could make plans to go stay warm elsewhere. I’d love to say that they shouldn’t turn it off in the winter, but if people just don’t pay their bills, they have to do something.
The utility providers should work with the local police department before shutting anything off the winter. If the man owed over $1,000, the electric company has a reason to shut off his power, but they should have had the police notify and/or relocate the man before they shut it off.
I have two things to say. First, some of you people are really fucking heartless. I really hope your words come back to bite you.
Second. Having worked with seniors, some seniors have NOBODY. Get that? No body. No family. No friends. Because everyone is dead, or perhaps they don’t have children, or they have been abandoned by people who swear they will help them and then don’t show up. Many seniors live alone. Many seniors have low, fixed incomes and barely enough money to feed themselves, much less pay the power company. Many seniors don’t have the wherewithal to get help and fall through the cracks. Sometimes state adult protective services have to come in and place a guardianship or put them in nursing homes that are little better than prisons. but even that is better than nothing, and even with that, some people still fall through the cracks. SO maybe this company was within its legal rights to turn off the power. But in a time when weather can kill someone, shutting off the power means they have blood on their hands. And I find that sickening.
This is why we must do more than talk. We have to take care of our parents and our grandparents. We have to reach out to seniors who maybe have no one around for them. We have to make that phone call to the appropriate services when someone isn’t getting basic care. We should consider volunteering at senior centers and nursing homes. We have an appalling attitude toward seniors in this society. Seniors should be taken care of by younger generations, not cast aside like this.
It’s illegal in Illinois. My mom is way past due our electric bill, but they’re not allowed to cut it off since it’s winter.
it’s his fault
>.<
That’s just plain wrong!!! The entire community should sue the fire out of the electric CO!!!
As for the question: It depends on which areas your talking about. Like it’d be ok for them to shut it off in southern states, like Florida, where it ain’t that cold, but in a northern state?! That’s murder.
It’s sad and probably happens quite frequently. Perhaps the need is there for the company to have some sort of support to assist those living in frigid areas in dire financial means to make special payments. The old fellow could have had Alzhiemers and no family to check on his monthly payments. Perhaps the company could check to see what the problem was before the payment peaked -well before the winter need.
@reniazen - ”at least he froze to death- it’s supposed to be quite peaceful once you’re numb to the pain”
the guy died a painful death due to the hypothermia (that what it wrote in the article.)
anyways. I think it is sad. He was 93 years old and seriously they had to turn it off in WINTER? They couldn’t turn it off in the spring time or the summer? They had a right to turn it off, but not like that. especially when you know this guy is elderly. They should have sent somebody out there instead of mailing.
@chchs - if you read my above posts, i don’t blieve that they should be able to turn it off in the winter. they aren’t allowed to where in chicago where i live, and everyone still pays their bills. they could have taken him to court or had a representative go talk with him and see what was going on, but they jus tleft a note on the door.
that’s so sad, but at the same time it’s fair for the company to cut off electricity if he owed $1000. if they had just let this slide, then they would have to be lenient with everyone else, and that would be unreasonable… but i still feel really sorry for that man. if he has family then it’s partially their fault because they should have been taking care of him.
@TediousChatter - ’twas a bit of the old sarcasm, which is lost on many, understandably. See the following for non-sarcastic hypothermia info: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothermia/DS00333
while i do think the electric company was right to shut his electricity
a better question would be why wasn’t anyone looking after this 93 old man
thats awful….
@michealsdianechaos -
sure is! He could have sold some of his stuff to pay off his bill and not be a dead beat.
Wow
They should have waited til it wasn’t DEATHLY cold.
Then take everything you want from him.
Pay your bills people. Just do it.
In a lot of places it’s illegal to turn off power in the winter…here in Illinois it’s illegal after the 15th of Oct. On the other hand, there are some great programs that help people out w/energy bills in the winter esp. so there’s no real reason he couldn’t have gotten help if he’d needed it.
While it’s horrible that he died, the power company has every right to turn off the power when a bill is not paid, regardless of what season it is, or what type of weather they are dealing with.
They guy had enough grace periods. They’re just doing their job. It wouldn’t make sense if the family sued.