Donna says:

July 2, 2008 2:21 pm

Is this rule enforced? If so how.

Travis says:

July 8, 2008 10:13 am

To Donna:

This rule is enforced by the Missouri Public Service Commission.

Terri says:

July 30, 2008 2:30 am

They cut us off yesterday for 300.00 but they wanted 1000.00 to turnit back on. I am a diabetic, 65, and am very badly affected by heat. I begged themto give us two more days when my husbands Navy retirement check would come. We have a three year old grandson here. My husband uses inhalers. But they shut us off anyway and my husband had to run all over two Missouri counties trying to raise the money, $1000.00 to get it back on. By the end of today I was sick, dehydrated with chest pains (I've had a bypass) My insulin was no longer refrigerated. Why did they cut us off in such hot weather. Kansas City has a heat alert. It was 95 degrees at my house. I could have died and with the phones down because of no electricity, I could not call for help. I know we were behind, I know we owed, but my God, have they no heart, no sense of humanity to give us two more days. Our food is ruined and we have no money for more. I had the bill money just a day away. I have lost all faith in people because of that company.

Elizabeth says:

July 30, 2008 11:48 am

Terri I feel for you, i went thru the same thing a couple months back and may be going thru it again. When they shut you off they add a huge deposit to get it turned back on. They want $500 tomorrow from me I asked them if I could have until Friday (tomorrow is Thursday) since I get paid Friday. She said she would note the account but there was no guarantee. We got behind with several bills and am trying to get them all caught up, but it seems the electric company is the only one who thinks they should be paid. i heard that the hot weather rule will not be enforced until next summer.

nannette says:

September 16, 2008 12:00 pm

We had a situation in Cuba mo. where on April 10,2008 a 76 y/old disabled vet had his utilities shut off for nonpayment. He then went into city hall to pay the balance owed, and discovered on May 1, 2008 the city had completely closed out his account. I went to the city council meeting last nite to ask why the account was closed. On May 1, he was told that he needed a $408 deposit to turn them back on since the city had closed out his account. None of this was brought to my attention until mid August. The elderly man had sat in that house with no utilities for over 4 months with temperatures above 95. My question to the city was why did you close the account to begin with. The people in city hall know that the man has no family, has lived in the same home for 40+ years and they do not even have an ordinance in place authorizing them to close out anyones account The police had been by to check on him but were only concerned about getting the grass mowed in the back yard since the neighbors had complained. City hall tells me that they do not have to follow the hot or cold weather rule since they are a small municpality. What does that have to do with a 76 y/old not having utilities??? Are there such exemptions from this law? I also told them that my mother's utilities were still on in her name, the house has electrical and sewer problems but she's been dead for a year and a half--why isn't her account closed. How do municipalities monotor turning off and on electic or natural gas during hot and weather/

Travis says:

September 16, 2008 4:26 pm

To Nannette:

These are questions for the Missouri Public Service Commission.