![]() ![]() Just four of the heat-associated deaths confirmed in 2023 occurred inside. Another 69 deaths remain under investigation. Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, reported Wednesday that as of July 15, there were 18 heat-associated deaths confirmed this year going back to April 11. Both types of cooling units must be kept in good working order. Within Phoenix city limits, an ordinance requires landlords to ensure that their air conditioning units will cool to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) or below and that evaporative coolers bring the temperature down to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). Katie Hobbs sent a letter to Arizona’s power companies on Friday, demanding that they spell out in writing their plans during the current hot spell for disconnections of service, how they will handle possible grid outages, and how they will react in the event of an emergency outage.Ĭhampion said she thinks state legislation would help ensure stricter rules against power company shutoffs, but nothing is before the state Legislature. “We urge customers who are having difficulty paying their bill for any reason to contact us as quickly as possible so we can offer solutions to help them avoid a worsening financial situation,” the company said in a separate statement. “We value our customers’ safety and have programs in place to assist those in need.” “SRP’s priority is to maintain reliable and affordable power for our customers, and we understand the significance of keeping customers in service during Arizona’s hot summer days,” the utility said in a response to a query. But Champion noted that people have died on hot days without such warnings.Īmid the current heat wave, SRP announced Friday it was halting all cutoffs for nonpayment for residential and commercial customers through July, and would not disconnect for failure to pay anyone on its economy price plan for customers with limited income through August. ![]() SRP says it halts shutoffs during excessive heat warnings issued by the National Weather Service. As a community based, not-for-profit district, SRP is not overseen by the state commission but is governed by a publicly elected Board and Council. It additionally supplies water in parts of metro Phoenix. It gives a discount of up to 25% on energy bills for people who qualify, like a family of three with a gross monthly income under $4,143, or a single person in a home with a gross monthly income of up to $2,430.Īrizona’s second largest provider of electricity, Salt River Project, or SRP, is known as a power and irrigation district rather than a utility and has around 1.1 million customers. “We urge customers who are struggling with overdue bills to contact us so we can work with them to get their account in good standing and try to keep balances from continuing to build.”ĪPS is the principal subsidiary of publicly traded Pinnacle West Capital Corp., and has about 1.2 million customers. “There will be no disconnections for past due residential accounts through mid-October,” with late fees waived during that period, APS confirmed. APS Tucson Electric Power, which serves Arizona’s second largest city and UniSource, which provides power in Mohave and Santa Cruz counties, chose the date-based option. Last year, the commission permanently banned electricity cutoffs during the hottest months.Įlectric utilities can choose to pause disconnections from June 1 through October 15, or pause them on days forecasted to be above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius) or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius). In 2019, the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates most of the state’s utilities, issued a moratorium on summertime shutoffs by APS and other power companies it oversees. “Couldn’t someone have spared her the $51?” “People are now more cognizant that low-income people can lose the power in their home at any time,” said Phoenix attorney Tom Ryan, a consumer advocate familiar with the Pullman case. The case raised awareness about extreme heat dangers, and it did spark change. Pullman’s death prompted Champion and others to demand new rules to prevent shutoffs. ![]()
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