Utility shutoffs loom as energy prices soar and moratoriums end. But help is available
Each week,
Govonna Ingram has to decide which bills she can afford to pay while she looks for a job. Essentials like food for her 2 daughters and 1-year-old grandson take priority, so the
Chicago resident hasn't been able to pay her utility bills since 2021.
Last month, she received a notice from her gas company that it would shut off her service within a few weeks because she owed nearly
$2,600. That would mean the family would lose heat and hot water, as well as the ability to use the stove.
"To get cut off in the wintertime, we are going to be cold," said
Ingram, 49, a former restaurant manager.
"We are not going to be able to cook or take baths, because it's chilly."
Ultimately,
Ingram was able to receive help from the
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which averted the gas disconnection. And she called her electric company and set up a payment plan to deal with that
$2,200 debt.
