When the bills pile up, the stress tends to become overwhelming. While collection calls from credit card companies mount, what happens when the threat is much closer to home?
Utility companies cannot disconnect residents for non-payment during cold-weather months. However, if residents remain delinquent through the winter, they may find themselves without power in April. What happens if utility bills remain unpaid?
Families in crisis
Milwaukee residents hit hard by unemployment in the wake of the events of 2020 find themselves without enough money for necessities. Food banks are doling out food so often that they are running short on supplies. Families have had to choose to either pay for food, rent or utilities. Utility companies have offered a break from residential disconnections since the start of the 2020 crisis. However, that break is set to expire, leaving many residents wondering what will happen in April if they still cannot pay.
Backlog of payments
Some families have paid what they can for their bills, while others have not paid anything. Utility companies in Wisconsin and around the country have offered to work with families on developing payment plans. While some people may have taken advantage of the offers, others could not due to financial shortfalls. If debts continue to mount, offering little to no hope of digging out before the moratorium expires, residents may want to consider filing bankruptcy to help get them back on the right financial path.
Recognizing that the crisis of 2020 is over does little to ease the minds of those residents facing impending utility disconnection. Without intervention soon, some neighbors may find themselves in the dark this spring.
