Activists want Daniels to turn on power

Two activist groups are calling on Gov. Mitch Daniels to persuade NIPSCO and other utility companies to reconnect low-income customers shut off for nonpayment before the onset of winter.

"This is something Gov. Daniels could do," said Citizens Action Coalition organizer Dave Menzer, on Friday. "It's about children, it's about seniors, it's about someone who was laid off from a steel mill."

At a meeting this week of the Coalition to Keep Indiana Warm, NIPSCO officials reported 3,751 customers who had received energy assistance in the past year were still without utilities, Menzer said.

The governor's office was not prepared to speak on any specifics of the CAC proposals on Friday, said Jane Jankowski, spokeswoman for the governor. But she pointed out the steps the governor took last year to get heat aid to Indiana residents.

"I would anticipate now that as we're getting to the winter heating season, he'll (Daniels) be taking a look at heating assistance programs and what can be done to help people," Jankowski said.

Steps taken by the governor last year included shifting $10 million from a social services fund into heat aid. He also started a Help Thy Neighbor heat aid program with contributions from the Lilly Endowment and utilities.

In Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich last year persuaded Illinois utilities to waive reconnection fees and deposits for low income customers who had their utilities shut off. The utilities also only required 20 percent of outstanding balances to be paid before reconnection.

Other states were also scrambling to take action last year, as natural gas prices hit record levels in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Menzer spoke Friday at the headquarters of ACORN of Northwest Indiana, in Gary. ACORN has targeted the issue of NIPSCO disconnections since forming in Gary earlier this year.

Rev. Eric Weathersby and Kathryn Weathersby, both of ACORN, said they will be taking testimony from NIPSCO customers at a "town hall" style meeting Tuesday at the Genesis Center in Gary.

"When I hear horror stories from citizens of this community about having utilities cut off, it is just hard to take," Kathryn Weathersby said.

Weathersby said those stories include people keeping their children home from school because they only had ice cold water to wash them with in an unheated home.

NIPSCO continues to prepare for the winter heating season by pushing state regulators to renew its Winter Warmth program, which provided $7.8 million in heat aid this past year, according to spokesman Tom Cuddy. This year, the utility wants funding increased by up to $3.2 million more.

The utility will be hosting an "Energy Fair" Oct. 14 at the Genesis Center in Gary.

"We're about working with reputable community groups to find solutions to customers' energy problems," Cuddy said. "I can't say the same about ACORN."

In addition to calling on Daniels to get utility customers reconnected with some kind of forgiveness on deposits and bills, ACORN and the CAC are calling for lower deposits in the future, equal to at most one month's bill.

NIPSCO currently can charge customers a deposit amount equal to two months of average bills and in some cases an amount equal to four months worth of bills.

Cuddy pointed out that for customers getting aid from Winter Warmth, a deposit equal to only one month's bill is charged.