Oct 7 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Linda Morris The Macon Telegraph, Ga.

The number of Americans whose electricity or gas has been shut off for nonpayment of their bills is up sharply in many parts of the country as people struggle to cope with higher prices and a shaky economy.

Shutoffs have been running 17 percent higher than last year among customers of New York state's major utilities, and 22 percent higher in economically hard-hit Michigan. They are up in all or part of dozens of other states, including Pennsylvania, Florida and California, according to an Associated Press check of regulators and energy companies.

Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co., "has seen about a 10 percent increase in the total number of disconnects for non-payment from January to August of this year compared to the same period last year," spokeswoman Konswello Monroe said in an e-mail. "We have seen an upturn in the number of disconnects in the past couple of months."

About 65 percent of the customers shut off make payment arrangements and are re-connected with a few days, Monroe said.

Historically, more disconnects for nonpayment occur during September and October, she said. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and has nearly 4.4 million customers.

Flint Energies, an electric cooperative based in Warner Robins has seen a fairly level number of disconnects for the past few years, said Marian Douglas, manager of public relations.

"For 2008, they are holding steady," Douglas said. "They are a little bit higher than what we had in 2006 but not as high as we had in 2007. There's no significant jumps as far as cutoffs. But I'm sure as the year progresses and our country's economy continues ... we may see some changes. But it's been holding steady the past two-three years."

Flint Energies serves nearly 80,000 meters in 17 counties throughout Middle Georgia, she said.

Despite stepped-up efforts by state and federal governments, utilities and private groups to help people avoid shut-offs this winter, some worry the problem will only get worse in the coming months, particularly with the downturn on Wall Street.

"I just didn't have the money to pay," said Marie Williams, a single mother raising four daughters in Cohoes, N.Y., a former mill city on the Hudson River. "Rent had to be paid, and food for the girls."

Williams' power was cut off this summer for about a week, forcing her girls to do homework by candlelight. She became one of more than 230,000 residential customers of New York's 10 major utilities to have their service shut off for nonpayment through August of this year. At the same time, people who rely on heating oil instead of gas or electricity to warm their homes are pleading for relief from high fuel prices.

Southern California Edison Co., with 4.5 million residential electric customers, reported residential terminations were up 10 percent through August of this year to 228,000; Westar Energy Inc. of Topeka, Kan., said it saw a 19.5 percent increase in residential shutoffs during the same period. Tampa Electric Co. reported a 19 percent climb in disconnect orders through June for residential and commercial customers.

Michigan regulators reported a 7 percent increase in residential natural gas shut-offs through June and a 39 percent rise in residential electricity terminations.

Shutoffs often are brief and the numbers can include customers whose service was shut off more than once.

New York is spending an extra $49 million on household energy efficiency programs. Connecticut approved $44 million to help with heating costs and weatherization. Officials in Maine want to distribute 2,000 to 3,000 "warm kits" that will include caulk, low-flow shower heads and high-efficiency light bulbs. Alaskans in their annual oil-royalty checks from the state this year are seeing an additional $1,200 to help offset high fuel prices. Utilities and private groups are also chipping in, helping customers make payments and winterize their homes. In hard-hit Detroit, DTE Energy matches money spent by a local group called The Heat and Warmth Fund and meets with customers at churches to work out payment arrangements.

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