DEMAND AN ILLINOIS ENERGY GUARANTEE
Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)
In the midst of a public health crisis, more than 3 million Americans filed for unemployment in just a single week. This includes 114,000 Illinoisans who sought assistance after being laid off or furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no cash flowing in, expenses for critical necessities like food, health care, housing, and utilities have continued.
Utility costs are no small expense. According to Elevate Energy, low-income families in Illinois spend 13% of their income on energy on average, more than twice the 6% of income required to be considered “energy burdened.” At a time when working class families should be focused on staying home and safe, many are worrying about how they’ll pay their bills.
Let’s be clear: uninterrupted access to electricity is a basic human right, and a matter of public health. For those dependent on medical devices, shutoffs are life or death. Unpaid utility bills are used as justification for eviction, putting folks on the street.
ComEd has voluntarily suspended shutoffs until May 1, reconnected service for those who contact them, and offered payment plans, but this is not enough. Bills will continue to accrue, utility debt will add up, and those who don’t know about assistance programs won’t use them. Our government and regulators must ensure access to energy as we enter what could be another economic depression.
Further, utility workers across Illinois remain on the front lines, ensuring access to a constant stream of safe electricity. They deserve protections to avoid exposure to and spreading the virus.
We demand for all Illinois residents:
Total freeze on utility payments - energy for households is subsidized for the duration of the crisis and recovery
Permanent end to utility shutoffs
Automatic reconnection of prior shutoffs
Forgive all existing utility debt
Waive all existing late fees
Require utilities to 1) provide workers with adequate paid sick leave, 2) provide workers with personal protective equipment (PPE), 3) suspend non-critical maintenance work
Sponsored by
To:
Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)
From:
[Your Name]
In the midst of a public health crisis, more than 3 million Americans filed for unemployment in just a single week. This includes 114,000 Illinoisans who sought assistance after being laid off or furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no cash flowing in, expenses for critical necessities like food, health care, housing, and utilities have continued.
Utility costs are no small expense. According to Elevate Energy, low-income families in Illinois spend 13% of their income on energy on average, more than twice the 6% of income required to be considered “energy burdened.” At a time when working class families should be focused on staying home and safe, many are worrying about how they’ll pay their bills.
Uninterrupted access to electricity is a basic human right, and a matter of public health. For those dependent on medical devices, shutoffs are life or death. Unpaid utility bills are used as justification for eviction, putting folks on the street.
Although ComEd has voluntarily suspended shutoffs until May 1, reconnected service for those who contact them, and offered payment plans, but this is not enough. Bills will continue to accrue, utility debt will add up, and those who don’t know about assistance programs won’t use them. As our governor and regulators, you must ensure access to energy as we enter what could be another economic depression.
Further, utility workers across Illinois remain on the front lines, ensuring access to a constant stream of safe electricity. They deserve protections to avoid exposure to and spreading the virus.
As such, we demand for all Illinois residents:
1. Total freeze on utility payments, meaning that energy for households is subsidized for the duration of the crisis and recovery
2. Permanent end to utility shutoffs, beyond the end of the crisis
3. Automatic reconnection of prior shutoffs
4. Forgive all existing utility debt
5. Waive all existing late fees
6. Require utilities to 1) provide workers with adequate paid sick leave, 2) provide workers with personal protective equipment (PPE), 3) suspend non-critical maintenance work