PHOENIX (AP) - State regulators have enacted emergency rules barring most Arizona electric utilities from disconnecting power to customers who are late on their bills from June 1 through Oct 15.
Thursday's action by Arizona Corporation Commission comes less than a week after it became known that a 72-year-old Sun City West woman died after her power was disconnected last September. The emergency rules take effect immediately and last six months while regulators develop final rules on shutoffs in hot weather.
Arizona Public Service disconnected Stephanie Pullman's power because she only paid $125 of her $176 bill. The state's largest utility suspended disconnections last Thursday and Tucson Electric Power followed on Friday.
Commissioners extended the original proposed end date of the cutoff ban by two weeks during Thursday's meeting.
