SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Woman dies after utility shuts off her electricity

Posted: Jun 28 2010 12:30 am

Quote:

CONCORD, N.H. - A woman who needed powered oxygen equipment to breathe died after she did not pay the power bill and a utility shut off her electricity, police said Friday. State officials were investigating whether any regulations were broken.

Kay Phaneuf, 53, died Thursday at Caritas Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass. She had been in critical condition since her husband found her unconscious Monday about an hour after power was cut to their home in Salem.

"She can't survive without it," Salem Police Capt. Shawn Patten said of the oxygen equipment. "They cut the power to the house, the power to whatever machine she had went out, and that was it."

There was a backup battery on the machine, but it had not been activated, he said. Such devices often have alarms indicating when power is cut, but it wasn't clear whether Phaneuf's had one.

The electricity bill hadn't been paid, Patten said, but state regulations require written notice to be given two weeks before a shutoff.

The utility, National Grid, declined to say Friday why the power was shut off, citing privacy and confidentiality reasons. But it said it was possible Phaneuf and her husband hadn't kept the company apprised of her needs.

http://current.com/news/92513290_woman-dies-after-utility-shuts-off-her-electricity.htm
http://www.pressherald.com/news/woman-dies-after-utility-shuts-off-her-electricity_2010-06-26.html

Posted: Jun 28 2010 06:15 am

Moral of the story: Pay your fucking electric bill if you need it to stay alive.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 06:48 am

Second moral: Test your life support's backup systems frequently.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 07:15 am

Third moral: If your wife needs electricity to live and you didn't pay the bill, make sure you're up to date on the life insurance policy.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 12:20 pm

Neglect on her husbands part. Electricity will give you notice in advance before they cut the power. If he gave them a sob story about financial crisis and mentioned his wifes dependency on electricity for survival, they would have worked with him.

Also, I guess it was lights out for her.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 12:42 pm

Burt Reynolds wrote:

Neglect on her husbands part. Electricity will give you notice in advance before they cut the power. If he gave them a sob story about financial crisis and mentioned his wifes dependency on electricity for survival, they would have worked with him.

This and what everyone else said. I'm one of the biggest bleeding hearts on the forum I think, but this makes even me roll my eyes. Your power doesn't just magically disappear all of a sudden for no reason.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 01:10 pm

National Grid suuuuuuuuuucks. They were awful when I was back in NY. I've seen many, MANY situations were people I know have had their electricity shut off without being given notice. Or getting it shut off after paying a large chunk of a bill they owed. Lots of stupid shit that I don't think a power company should be able to get away with.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 01:10 pm

SoldierHawk wrote:

...but this makes even me roll my eyes. Your power doesn't just magically disappear all of a sudden for no reason.

Yea, pretty much, they try to paint the utility company as the villian when I bet they were not even aware of the woman's situation.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 01:19 pm

Rycona wrote:

National Grid suuuuuuuuuucks. They were awful when I was back in NY. I've seen many, MANY situations were people I know have had their electricity shut off without being given notice. Or getting it shut off after paying a large chunk of a bill they owed. Lots of stupid shit that I don't think a power company should be able to get away with.

Well in fairness, if something like this is the case, then the company needs to be held responsible. But I'm skeptical.

Posted: Jun 28 2010 01:23 pm

SoldierHawk wrote:

Rycona wrote:

National Grid suuuuuuuuuucks. They were awful when I was back in NY. I've seen many, MANY situations were people I know have had their electricity shut off without being given notice. Or getting it shut off after paying a large chunk of a bill they owed. Lots of stupid shit that I don't think a power company should be able to get away with.

Well in fairness, if something like this is the case, then the company needs to be held responsible. But I'm skeptical.

Yea. I mean, it seems likely that they didn't let NG know about the equipment, but I have seen NG pull some stupid shit. I've even dealt with them myself on a few occasions. At least where I was living, they were the only power company around (They used to be Niagra-Mohawk up until so many years ago, who were sort of the same way).

UsaSatsui's Youtube Channel · Posted: Jun 28 2010 01:50 pm

If you have a medical condition that requires power, they won't shut you off. It says so right on the bill.

So I doubt they knew.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

They ought to give the husband the electric chair...out of irony.

Yeah...I got nothing....

Posted: Jun 28 2010 02:20 pm

That'd be a.....*shades pull* SHOCKING turn of events.

YEAAAAAAAAAAH

Posted: Jun 28 2010 04:57 pm

Maybe it was an elaborate murder plot. Crafty bastard.

Title: Hugh Joined: Sep 23 2007 Posts: 1591

Hahaha, Lem.

Joined: Jun 08 2010 Location: Termina Field Posts: 1541

UsaSatsui wrote:

If you have a medical condition that requires power, they won't shut you off. It says so right on the bill.

So I doubt they knew.

Wouldn't people abuse that to get free power, or do they need some form of proof. Could anyone tell what exactly the bill says for that?

Posted: Jul 01 2010 08:53 am

U need a doctors note. It has to be certified or notarized. And it has to be confirmed by legal as well.