PUC extends utility shutoff suspension through March
Thanks to your continued advocacy and support, the Public Utilities Commission has extended the suspension on utility shutoffs through the end of March. Over 1,100 residents and 26 local organizations signed on, calling on the PUC and Hawaiian Electric to do the right thing.
The PUC sought comment from its utilities, including data on overdue bills, to help the commission make an informed decision on the extension. The commission has also established reporting requirements and set forth next steps for transition planning—hinting that this could be the last mandatory extension from the PUC. This means come April, families that continue to struggle to make ends meet and pay off their debt could be facing utility shutoffs.
The future remains uncertain, but its unlikely that real financial recovery will have yet occurred, and bill forgiveness remains extremely crucial. Hawaiian Electric continued to make more profits in 2020 than it did in the year previous, demonstrating just how much better the utility is suited to handle economic turmoil. We will continue to call on Hawaiian Electric to implement direct bill forgiveness to its customers using its increased profits in 2020.
