ST. PETERSBURG — Geraldine Goins wanted to replace her 40-year-old roof. She’d needed one for a long time.
Shingles were blowing off her St. Petersburg home, and during a big storm in May, rain started leaking into one of her bedrooms. Her children helped her apply for a grant to help replace it, but she had to drain a chunk of her savings account to cover the rest. The 71-year-old’s Social Security benefits already barely covered her expenses, including her power bill.
Then in August, she received her highest-ever electricity bill from Duke Energy Florida: $131. Now, she’s worried about keeping the lights on.
“They’re crushing in and leaving no room for nothing else to do but worry about a light bill or a water bill, and you can’t live like that,” Goins said.
Local aging services and elder advocates say they’re seeing more and more seniors behind on their utility bills. Three of the state’s investor-owned utilities paused disconnections in March due to the pandemic — Tampa Electric, Duke Energy Florida and Florida Power & Light — but all have resumed shutoffs for those who don’t pay their bills.
Two state legislators are calling on Florida utility regulators and Gov. Ron DeSantis to “step up” on an electricity shutoff moratorium, the Tampa Bay Times reported Thursday.
The calls started coming in August, when Duke Energy Florida began warning of disconnections, according to Amber Bridges, who manages the federal Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program for the Pinellas Opportunity Council. The program helps low-income seniors apply for up to $600 twice a year to cover the costs of heating or cooling, Bridges said, and after COVID-19 hit, the aid was bumped up to $750.
Bridges' office has seen a 40% increase in calls for utility assistance over last year, and in August and September gave out $45,000 — half of a fund that is supposed to last for six months.
The onset of the pandemic had people stocking up on basic necessities, “so they didn’t have any money left to pay their electric bills,” Bridges said.
“I think a lot of people just assumed, especially in the beginning, that because they weren’t turning things off, they weren’t going to have to pay their bill,” she said. “They’re people who are terrified of losing their home, terrified of losing their electricity. And a lot of them have never been in this position before.”
The organization received $123,000 in federal CARES Act funding in late September which it will use in the months to come.
Zayne Smith, associate state director for AARP Florida, said her organization also is hearing of the problem. During the pandemic, seniors have been home more and running their air conditioners as the temperatures increased, Smith said. Some seniors have lost their jobs, adding to their financial burden.
“And so they literally were having to make the decision of, do I pay my power bill? Or do I buy the groceries that I need?” Smith said.
The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas is expecting a higher than normal number of calls in October from people seeking help with utility bills now that the grace period has ended, said Jason Martino, director of planning.
And while the Senior Connection Center in Tampa is not seeing a big increase in calls for utility assistance, people often reach out at the last minute, so the Center is anticipating more calls as deadlines approach, said Patty Suarez, public information officer.
Ana Gibbs, spokesperson for Duke Energy Florida said that customers should reach out to them for help with payment options and financial assistance.
“Duke Energy’s goal is not to disconnect anyone, but connect customers with financial assistance and payment options,” she wrote in an email. “However, some customers are currently not paying any portion of their bill, building up a large balance that will be harder to pay off later.”
Tampa Electric offers payment extensions, according to spokesperson Cherie Jacobs, and is pointing customers to financial assistance. The company also donated $500,000 to a Salvation Army program that helps customers pay electric and natural gas bills, she wrote.
Goins said she called Duke and the city for advice on lowering her electric bill, but still may need help to cover the difference.
“The way it’s going here," she said, "you never know.”
Tampa Bay Times reporter Malena Carollo contributed to this report.
For help with utility bills:
- Seniors may call the state Area Agencies on Aging at 1-800-963-5337.
- Duke Energy customers may call 800-700-8744 or visit duke-energy.com/ExtraTime.
- Tampa Electric customers may call 813-272-5900.
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The Link LonkOctober 03, 2020 at 09:58AM
https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/10/03/tampa-bay-seniors-hit-hard-by-utility-bills-now-face-shutoffs/
Tampa Bay seniors hit hard by utility bills now face shutoffs - Tampa Bay Times
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