Bill advances that would allow utilities to disconnect severely ill patients for non-payment

A bill now on the floor of the Connecticut General Assembly would change the current law protecting thousands of people with life-threatening conditions from having their utilities disconnected, unless they qualify as “hardship eligible.”

Connecticut has among the highest electricity bills in the country, and they could go even higher. In February, Eversource sought a 19 percent rate hike, while United Illuminating asked for a 16 percent increase.

Under existing law, people who have life-threatening conditions must have a physician submit a certification to their electric or gas utility provider specifying how long a patient’s condition would require continuous utility access. If the patient has a permanent condition, the physician must resubmit the certification annually. This prevents utility shutoff for that duration.

In addition, Connecticut law prohibits utilities from disconnecting service between Nov. 1 and May 1 for anyone experiencing financial hardship.

During the legislative Energy and Technology Committee meeting last week, some committee members expressed interest in establishing an eligibility test for medical protection against utility shutoff.

“I support the idea of getting this out of committee and working on seeing how practical it is to develop a means test,” said Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex, and committee co-chairman. “I strongly recommend we approve this bill.”

Others were less enthusiastic.

“People with disabilities have medical conditions and need electricity to stay alive,” Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford, and committee member said. “If you cut them off for a past-due bill, they’re going to die.”

The bill was moved out of committee to the floor of the General Assembly by a 17-3 vote on March 22.

The law protecting people with life-threatening medical conditions from sudden utility disconnection dates back to 1995 when a Hartford man with a degenerative muscle condition had his electricity shut off, turning off his life support equipment.

While certification prevents shutoffs, it does not excuse patients or ratepayers from making utility payments.

According to a 2020 review by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, approximately 2 percent of Eversource customers and 2.4 percent of United Illuminating customers receive any sort of medical hardship protection. Of those, the vast majority have medical conditions that are considered life threatening, the review showed.

In submitted testimony Eversource Vice President for Customer Operations Jess Cain told the legislative committee that roughly 7,000 customers with medical protection who aren’t designated as having a financial hardship had unpaid bills amounting to $60 million in “bad debt costs.” Eversource officials said that those costs resulted in higher bills for other ratepayers, at roughly $12 per customer over the next year.