Sharing Minnesotans' stories at the PUC

"Thank you for the opportunity to speak before you this morning. My name is James Birr and I’m the Outreach and Communications Manager for CUB. Though I have been with CUB for nearly three years, I’m embarrassed to say I have yet to attend one of your regular Thursday hearings. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to share with you the stories I hear every day in my work at CUB. I also appreciate the Commission’s efforts to address the issue of energy affordability in Minnesota through its regulatory authority.

In my time at CUB, I have talked to what now must be over a thousand Minnesotans, whether over the phone, email, or in person about utility bills and energy issues. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the number one topic of discussion is utility shut offs. 

A personal note: I am familiar with what it’s like to experience a disconnection. At the height of the COVID pandemic, I lost my job and fell far behind on my electric bill. Though my balance continued to increase, I thought that I wasn’t at risk of disconnection because it was during the Cold Weather Rule. I had my electricity turned off in the dead of winter. I was lucky to have family and community support to rapidly address the disconnection. However, we know that many of our neighbors do not.

The data Annie shared shows us that while Minnesota has lower bills and lower rates than the national average, those who are behind are falling into a deeper and deeper hole. It is not easy to address $1000, $2000, $3000 in overdue utility bills. Many households carrying this balance don’t qualify for Energy Assistance or other assistance programs. On top of that, we entered the Minnesota winter, when arrearages increase dramatically every year.

Then, the unforeseeable happened in Minnesota. ICE and other federal agencies increased their activity in Minnesota to unprecedented levels. We know this drove thousands into hiding out of an abundance of caution. In turn, many households lost income, stability, and fell into extreme debt. Across Minnesota, keeping up with rent or the mortgage, groceries, medicine, utilities, and more has now become dependent on the generosity of strangers.

In the energy and utility world, we use terms like energy affordability, energy burden, ability to pay, and more, every day. Struggling with energy bills is a reality for so many right now. To ground us in the lived reality of what’s behind these words, I want to share with you some stories I have heard recently from Minnesotans. CUB has received more phone calls than ever before, including during the height of the COVID pandemic. These are just a few anecdotes, but I think they paint a picture of what Minnesotans are going through right now.

• About three weeks ago, I spoke with a woman who had been out of work for months. She told me she had a notice for an imminent disconnection. She has two children with disabilities. She has already been shut off once before, and it traumatized her children. She could not receive Energy Assistance. I advised her to set up a payment plan to avoid disconnection, and I urged her to leverage the Consumer Affairs Office’s ability to negotiate a plan that works for her budget.
• The following Monday, I took a call from a woman in southeast Minnesota. She has been without electricity and gas from her municipal utility since last summer. She has gone the entire winter without heat and relies on a generator to keep herself and her dog warm. She has multiple chronic health issues including diabetes. She told me her feet have turned black as she lives in a home that is regularly 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Her balance is around $3000. She shared that she has around $2200 ready to pay towards her balance – the majority of it made available through Energy Assistance dollars – but she has been disconnected for so long that her utility considers her account inactive and will not restore service till the balance is paid in full. I referred her to the CAO and haven’t been able to get in touch with her since the call.
• This story isn’t mine and was primarily handled by another member of CUB’s Outreach Team, Kevin Krantz. A man received an eviction notice for non-payment of his utility bill which is billed through a third-party service. Though he received Energy Assistance this season, he was unable to access extra crisis assistance because the third-party biller was not on the Department of Commerce’s approved vendor list. CUB worked with staff from multiple different organizations and agencies to ensure that we were doing everything we could to provide resources, education, and support. alongside a complaint at the Consumer Affairs Office, I believe we delayed the eviction.
• A Dinka-speaking household has a notice for an imminent disconnection. Dinka is a very uncommon language in Minnesota, spoken by many Sudanese refugees. This family has extreme difficulty accessing any sort of support due to the lack of immediate interpretation service. I had to pull in a community member to provide interpretation as CUB’s interpretation service didn’t have a Dinka speaker available. I should note: the Consumer Affairs Office uses the same interpretation service as CUB. This household has a past due balance just shy of $2000, and they must pay $900 upfront to avoid disconnection. I guided them through the process of contacting the Consumer Affairs Office so they can negotiate down this upfront payment and avoid disconnection. The volunteer interpreter was also able to get them connected to the wider Dinka-speaking community here in Minnesota for culturally appropriate support.

Throughout my time at CUB, I have collected countless stories of past-due bills, disconnection notices, issue with utilities, and more. At the end of the day, Minnesotans simply want to keep their lights on, their food good, and their homes warm. But, especially in the current moment, I am lifted up by how many are calling CUB to learn how they can best support their neighbors. The past few weeks I’ve talked to school social workers, doctors and nurses, mutual aid networks, and folks who have no formal title and simply want to help. Just last week, over 100 Minnesotans registered for CUB’s webinar to get trained up on utility bills so they can help neighbors in their orbit. People are desperate not only for assistance, but also for education to navigate complex utility systems.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate something that I’m sure we all know but bears acknowledgement: No one wants to have their power shut off. No one wants to be in hundreds or thousands of dollars in debt to the utilities they rely on to survive. It is hard to advocate for yourself when you are so far in debt that you can’t see straight. Factors outside of our control will forever be present. In the meantime, we can all only do the best we can to educate our neighbors, support them financially, and work hard to avoid disconnection.

Briefly, I’d like to thank the Consumers Affairs Office for their constant support of Minnesota consumers. They are an essential resource for the Minnesotans we work with. you again for your time and the opportunity to uplift the stories of Minnesotans regarding their struggles affording energy bills. Please reach out if you have any questions."