Grandma Dies After Power Cut Over Unpaid Bill

**Pakman3000** · 06-27-2010, 21:23

53-year-old New Hampshire grandmother Kay Phaneuf died this weekend after National Grid cut her power over an unpaid bill. Phaneuf suffered from a heart condition that required her to sleep in an oxygen tent and use a plug-in oxygen machine. The worker who disconnected the power after ringing Phaneuf's bell and waiting several minutes at the door apparently didn't notice a big red sign that warned people not to smoke because of the oxygen machine. National Grid is claiming they followed proper procedures, but that isn't stopping New Hampshire's Public Utilities Commission from opening an investigation.

“David Graves, a spokesman for National Grid, said in a phone interview that the meter worker “had no record to indicate there was a medical note on the account.’’
“We follow the state regulations to protect the customer and to protect the company as well,’’ he said. “The last thing that we want to do is cut off a person’s service.’’

The account had included a medical notification, Graves said, but it had expired on May 15.

“We sent them a letter on April 30 advising them of the expiration, but there was no response,’’ Graves said. “We sent out a letter on June 1 advising them that service would be shut off no earlier than June 15, but they didn’t respond to that either. In our review of this event, we found nothing to indicate that we didn’t follow proper procedure. And there is nothing so far to indicate that the shutoff of electricity had anything to do with her medical emergency.’’

He said the company goes beyond the state’s 60-day medical notification requirement and gives 90 days.

”
The President of the company, Tom King, added: "[w]e take this matter very seriously..."

The Public Utilities Commissions has asked the company to produce a slew of records, and is working to make sure that other utilities adhere to their own procedures so that no other customers die such thoroughly avoidable deaths.

http://consumerist.com/2010/06/new-hamp ... power.html

**XxSilentxFartxX** · 06-27-2010, 22:27

Wow well if you dont pay you dont get service..kinda shitty but someone should have been looking out for her and if not she shoulda been in a home

**Ironhide400** · 06-27-2010, 22:28

Thats crazy! I have heard of the medical clause before, but I have never heard of a person failing to notify the power company! :shock:

**bevo215** · 06-28-2010, 01:38

I work for an energy company in the quad cities and there are a few things you have to do to qualify for wjat we call life support status and in all reality it doesnt stop the service from being turned off but we do have to send out a lpt more disconnect notices and if they stoll don't pay we do turn them off. That being said most of these people do have someone helping them but from my experience most of then still can use !a phone to call someone.

**saviger** · 06-28-2010, 04:51

Originally Posted by bevo215

I work for an energy company in the quad cities and there are a few things you have to do to qualify for wjat we call life support status and in all reality it doesnt stop the service from being turned off but we do have to send out a lpt more disconnect notices and if they stoll don't pay we do turn them off. That being said most of these people do have someone helping them but from my experience most of then still can use !a phone to call someone.

I'm with bevo, whole situation could have been avoided if she picked up her phone. Or her neighbors gave a shit and checked on her.

**smoke** · 06-28-2010, 07:15

Aren't patients in this type of medical condition required to have a bed nurse or something? Someone that checks on them ever couple hours? :?

Originally Posted by saviger

Originally Posted by bevo215

I work for an energy company in the quad cities and there are a few things you have to do to qualify for wjat we call life support status and in all reality it doesnt stop the service from being turned off but we do have to send out a lpt more disconnect notices and if they stoll don't pay we do turn them off. That being said most of these people do have someone helping them but from my experience most of then still can use !a phone to call someone.

I'm with bevo, whole situation could have been avoided if she picked up her phone. Or her neighbors gave a shit and checked on her.

Guest · 06-28-2010, 07:54

Damn, you would think that she would have family or someone taking care of her. I once worked for Lincare and delivered O2. It is amazing of the amount of older people that their family don't even come around. Alot of them knew my schedule and about what time I would be there and where happy just to see me. It is a sad thing but, that is probably what had happened to this lady. I know that the people that I delivered to had a clause with the Electric Company about shut offs. I used to have to pull all nighters when we had storms and the power went out in whole sections of my APR. These customers where suppose to keep back up bottles in case of such emergencies when the O2 concentrator didn't work but, there where always the ones that where always unprepared even though I tried to make sure. Oh well the OT was good!!! At least I can say none of them passed on because of me. I am sure that meter guy feels pretty bad. I know I would!!!