MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – A new bill in the state senate could soon prevent vulnerable households from having their power shut off due to missed payments.
In 2025, electricity is less of a luxury and more of a necessity.
“Society today, as far as we’ve advanced, we need that,” John Dodd, Policy manager and lobbyist for Alabama Energy, said. “That’s something we need to cook, it’s something we need to clean, it’s something that we really need to do everything around our house.”
That’s why Energy Alabama, a non-profit dedicated to advocating for clean energy, is supporting Senate Bill 340 would prevent gas and electric companies from shutting off electricity due to a lack of payment in vulnerable households under certain conditions.
This applies to times of extreme weather, including extreme heat and cold, cases where children under the age of 12 or elders over 65 reside in the household, when the household has an active service member or veteran, and if there is someone in the household who needs electricity for medical purposes.
“Diabetes,” said Dodd. “Some people need to have their refrigerators on at all times to store their insulin.”
Dodd wants to stress that this bill would not be a welfare program.
“If you’re struggling to put food on the table, or you’re struggling to make enough money to pay your utility, it’s still at the end of the day your responsibility to pay that debt eventually, but just because of that struggle, I don’t think that you should lose your privilege to electricity and gas,” he said.
According to Energy Alabama, the state is number one in the nation in energy burden, and second in the nation for the highest monthly energy bill. All of this led lawmakers to believe this bill is necessary.
This bill is currently in the state’s senate. If passed, it will go into effect Oct. 1.
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