Crisis meet brings on the heat, will utilities follow?

GARY | They came clutching Ziploc bags, white envelopes and purses stuffed with NIPSCO bills and green disconnect notices. They also held on to vague hopes that they might find the help they need.

"I really don't know what I'll do," said Amie Fuller, 77, of Gary, who held out a NIPSCO disconnect notice for Oct. 2 with a balance due of $1,962. "I guess I'll get some oil lamps out."

Seated a few rows in front of Fuller in the Genesis Center's main ballroom Tuesday night, Phylliss Shaffer, 71, pulled her May bill for $1,930 out of a Ziploc bag. She had received disconnect notices the previous month. Her utilities were shut off right before that bill came, she said.

She moved out to stay with her daughter.

"Someone broke in when I was away, they took the TV and trashed the place," she said.

Those were some of the faces of need among about 90 people who showed for what was billed as a "town hall meeting" hosted by ACORN of Northwest Indiana and The Citizens Action Coalition at the Genesis Center.

The two groups have formed a Keeping Citizens Connected Coalition. They are demanding NIPSCO and state and local government take action now to reconnect thousands of people who had utilities turned off in the wake of last winter's record natural gas prices.

"There is a crisis in this community," said ACORN organizer the Rev. Eric Weathersby. "It may not look like it now, but soon as it gets cold our office will be overflowing with people."

A spokesman for NIPSCO, which did not participate in the meeting, said the utility is moving on numerous fronts to keep customers connected this winter heating season.

NIPSCO and the Lake County Energy Task Force will host an "Energy Fair" at the Genesis Center on Oct. 14.

"We want to work with customers that want to work with us," said NIPSCO spokesman Tom Cuddy by phone Tuesday night. "If you have trouble paying your bill and recognize it up front, call us before the bill is due."

The utility also has petitioned state regulators to continue its "Winter Warmth" program, which has dished out more than $10 million in heat aid during the past two years.

NIPSCO is the largest utility in Indiana, with 712,000 natural gas and 445,000 electric customers.

NIPSCO reported 3,751 low-income customers were shut off and remain without utilities at a meeting of the Indiana Coalition to Stay Warm last week, according to the Citizens Action Coalition.

ACORN and the CAC have demanded immediate action by Gov. Mitch Daniels and NIPSCO to get those customers reconnected.

Political leaders at Tuesday night's meeting at the Genesis Center, most seated up front as a panel, said they shared many of the same frustrations with NIPSCO as audience members.

Calumet Township had to hand out almost $1 million in heating assistance each of the past two winters, Calumet Township Trustee Mary Elgin said.

"I am not an adversary of NIPSCO, but I do have a serious concern with some of the policies and procedures at NIPSCO," Elgin said.

State Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, promised to revive legislation introduced in a previous session of the Indiana General Assembly that would limit bill deposits to an amount equal to one month's average bill.

Rogers also promised to introduce legislation to require utilities to report the number of disconnections in their service territory.

"I want to work with you to make the utility issue a front-burner issue with the Indiana General Assembly," Rogers said.

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