No utility shutoffs during Covid crisis!

The economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic is hitting lower-income families especially hard, and has brought into stark focus the plight of thousands of families who pay a disproportionally high percentage of their household income on energy bills. Appalachian Voices and our partners are calling for immediate and comprehensive bans on utility shutoffs during the crisis — and we’re making progress.

In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper has extended the state’s moratorium on electricity, water and gas shutoffs through July 29. And in Virginia, the State Corporation Commission extended its moratorium through through August 31.

In this April 17 video, we share the stories of two families whose lives were made even more stressful when they couldn’t afford to pay their utility bills.

North Carolina

• A proposed bill would direct $20 million of North Carolina’s federal Covid-relief funding toward utility bill assistance; we support the bill but advocate five times the funding level.
• Gov. Cooper extends shutoff moratorium, as urged by Appalachian Voices and dozens of other public interest groups
• Energy Justice for NC utility tracker
• Follow EJNC on Facebook

Tennessee

• Tennessee Valley Energy Democracy Movement utility tracker
• Follow the TVEDM on Facebook
• Tell Governor Bill Lee to stop utility shutoffs!

Virginia

• The State Corporation Commission extended the utility shutoff moratorium through August 31.
• Appalachian Voices’ filing with the State Corporation Commission to expand the current moratorium
• 58 state legislators urge SCC to expand the moratorium
• Attorney General Mark Herring also urges an extension.

National

• We’re calling for a federal program to pay off utilities’ bill debts for their customers and help utilities recoup lost revenue. Read more here

News

• Huffington Post coverage in North Carolina and in Tennessee
• A March 30 blog about energy burden and the Covid crisis
• Virginia Mercury article on the advocates calling for an expanded utility-shutoff moratorium
• Our press releases on the topic