An Armourdale resident who is a COVID-19 victim asked the Board of Public Utilities on Wednesday night to help her and her family keep the electricity on at her residence.
The resident, a disabled senior citizen who uses a scooter, said her husband uses a CPAP machine and some other medical machines that rely on electricity to run. Without them, he wouldn’t be able to live, she said.
He is in poor health, has 37 active medical problems and has undergone 38 medical procedures, the resident told the BPU board at its 4:45 p.m. remote work session Wednesday. She mentioned cardiac, pulmonary, autoimmune and neurological problems, among others.
Without electricity, he couldn’t use CPAP, a nebulizer, and the internet router to communicate, and to transmit signals from his Pacemaker to those who monitor it, she said. Besides that, he uses an electric heater, refrigeration for medications, heating pad, and other medical-related equipment that uses electricity, she said.
“We have been trying to get on the list to not disconnect us,” the resident told the BPU board.
COVID-19 swept through her family earlier this year, she said. It rendered her not able to work. Her daughter, in her 20s, also got COVID-19 and was unable to work, she said, and now suffers from cardiac and other issues.
The Armourdale resident said while her daughter was in intensive care, the mother tried to call BPU customer service and was laughed at and told if the daughter couldn’t call BPU from the ICU that they would be disconnected.
The resident also went to social service agencies for help to pay the BPU bill, but some of the traditional ones were not able to help her, she said. Community Health Council of Wyandotte County was the only one able to find funds to keep her utilities on at that time, and they had to pay more than $600, she added.
“Right now we’re facing another disconnect of $209, at the end of this month,” she said, “and from last month, another $300.” They need help with a total bill of more than $500 by Dec. 7.
“I beg of you not to turn off my electricity,” she said. “I know I’m not the only person in the area affected by COVID or other conditions.”
“Without electricity, my whole family would die,” she said.
She asked that the BPU extend its policy not to turn off electricity to a wider group of people who rely on electricity for their medical devices. The BPU already has a policy not to turn off electricity for consumers who have some types of equipment, including ventilators, oxygen equipment and dialysis machines.
Angela McCall, representing the Community Health Council, said many community members with a different array of medical conditions rely on electricity to keep the machinery functioning. Interruption of service could result in death or hospitalization for some, she said. CHC said there were 1,248 persons depending on durable medical equipment devices in Wyandotte County.
According to CHC, Evergy, an energy company in Kansas City, Missouri, has already set a program up there.
BPU General Manager Bill Johnson said the cold weather rule is in effect, and the BPU also asks customers to take advantage of the payment plans it offers. There are hardship and utility assistance programs, he said.
Utility assistance programs have received some CARES Act funding, he said, and a number of agencies have utility assistance funds available. BPU contributes to those funds on an annual basis, Johnson said.
The Armourdale resident said she has gone to many agencies, and there was a lot of bureaucracy and red tape involved. With two other ill persons in the household, she has no time to track down assistance programs.
She said as far as payment arrangements are concerned, she doesn’t have enough money to sign up for any of them.
Johnson replied that they would have customer service call her back, and let her know if there was anything they could do to help.
At BPU’s 6 p.m. regular meeting, Christopher Dusil, retired from KCK Fire Department administration, spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting and offered to do a “Go Fund Me” page for the resident.
Angela Lawson, BPU attorney, responded that the BPU could not be involved directly with a “Go Fund Me” page because of the lack of control over it. That would be a private effort, she said. They encourage employees and the public to donate to the United Way, which does a good job of screening applicants, she said.
For BPU involvement, they would have to be established charities that are audited to be involved.
The BPU annually funds a hardship program and a utility assistance program, Johnson said. He encouraged people to call the United Way at 211 for information about how to apply for assistance and what the rules are.
Ty Gorman also spoke during the public comment section.
“It’s unconscionable for BPU to be cutting off folks’ electricity, now in the winter in a pandemic, especially folks with medical equipment and nebulizers, machines that mean the difference between life and death for folks that are BPU’s customers,” Gorman said.
“The board should be working to putting a moratorium on utility shutoffs to keep people safe during the holidays,” he said. “KCBPU should certainly stop turning people’s power off especially without consideration to medical equipment.”
The BPU board members did not have much to say at Wednesday’s meeting about utility shutoffs and customers with durable medical equipment.
Board member Rose Mulvany Henry thanked CHC.
“It’s an absolutely mission critical topic that you guys have brought forward,” she said. “I hope in the coming weeks the board can visit about this and potentially come up with some solutions.”
