As a state moratorium on utility shutoffs comes to an end, more than 800-thousand customers in Illinois are behind on their utility bills and potentially subject to having their service cut off.
Consumer advocates are urging residents to contact their utility companies A-S-A-P to find out what payment options and assistance are available – through the utilities themselves or the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Jim Chilsen, with the Citizens Utility Board, says the moratorium ending doesn’t mean everyone immediately gets shut off; rather, the utility companies are sending out disconnection notices, starting with customers who are most in arrears.
“The last thing anyone needs in the middle of a pandemic is to lose your electricity or heat. And we also have a message for utility companies: This is a time to be good corporate citizens, and to do everything they can to keep their customers connected.”
Chilsen notes that people earning up to 300-percent of the federal poverty level will be protected from disconnection until June 30th – for a family of four that’s a bit less than 80-thousand dollars a year.
