AARP, Texas Consumer Association petition for moratorium on power shutoffs, calls it 'death sentence' amid heat danger
The groups write that "extended heat wave conditions," combined with Texans' energy insecurity, creates the possibility of heat-related illness and death.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- AARP Texas and the Texas Consumer Association sent an emergency petition to the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) on Thursday, asking for a moratorium on "all electric service disconnections of residential premises for bill arrearages or lack of payment until on or after September 15, 2023, as a public safety matter," citing concerns about heat-related illness and death.
The groups write that "extended heat wave conditions," combined with Texans' energy insecurity, creates the possibility of heat-related illness and death.
"During a hot Texas summer and heat wave, living in low-quality, inefficient housing with no air
conditioning or refrigeration for food and medicine could be a death sentence for seniors, young children, medically vulnerable citizens, and others," the petition reads, "Many households face the risk of disconnection month after month, so an electricity disconnection moratorium is a key provision for public health and safety."
Texans without access to air conditioning are encouraged to find a local cooling center.
The groups said that they hope the PUCT will establish a permanent moratorium on summer disconnections.
The full petition can be read below:
KXAN has reached out to PUCT for comment, and will update this story when that response is available.
Lack of statewide data hides extent of electric insecurity
The petition also asks PUCT to "immediately direct the state’s transmission and distribution utilities and retail electric providers to report on the number of their current electric accounts disconnected for lack of payment."
"We do not know how many Texas households are already disconnected from electric service or in arrears on bills because the Texas Commission does not require utilities or retail electric providers to report this information," the petition states. "[Reporting data] will enable the Commission and other policymakers to understand the magnitude and risk of summer bill arrearages, utility disconnections and heat-related public morbidity and mortality rates statewide."
The U.S. Census Bureau's "Household Pulse Survey" asked 22,460,717 Texans if they had reduced expenses or altogether skipped basic household necessities to pay an energy bill, if they kept their home at a temperature that felt unsafe and if they were unable to pay their energy bill.
Of the 16,845,538 Texans who responded to the survey between June 28 and July 10, here's how they responded:
| Question | Almost every month | Some months | 1-2 months | Never |
| Reduced or skipped expenses to keep energy on | 7.65% | 10.83% | 7.61% | 48.36% |
| Kept home at temperature that felt unsafe | 4.01% | 7.15% | 4.26% | 58.91% |
| Unable to pay energy bill | 2.52% | 6.44% | 6.01% | 59.62% |
In total, 26.1% of Texans reduced or skipped expenses, 15.4% kept their home at an unsafe temperature and 15% were unable to pay their energy bill.