Utility regulators in Connecticut and on Long Island are suspending service shutoffs in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong says an emergency moratorium from the Public Utilities Regulatory Authorities on shutoffs will help residents remain safe as many are forced to work, learn and care for children at home.
“They can’t do any of that if they don’t have access to electricity, natural gas and water. And it’s so important that we enable people in the middle of this emergency to continue on with their lives and to keep their families safe and healthy.”
In New York, lawmakers have called for the state’s Unified Court System and utility companies to suspend housing evictions and foreclosures, as well as utility shutoffs. PSEG Long Island, which serves Nassau and Suffolk Counties, says it will temporarily suspend shutoffs.
An active state of emergency in both Connecticut and New York would give the states more ability to enforce such moratoriums.
