Consumers Council Request Denied

The Missouri Public Service Commission has denied a request filed by the Consumers Council of Missouri, which sought Commission issuance of an emergency rule that would temporarily prevent electric, natural gas, and water disconnections through March 31, 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission found the rulemaking requested does not meet the criteria for the issuance of an emergency rule. In their ruling, the commission pointed out that regulated utilities have placed a moratorium on residential disconnections. Those utilities reported that their repayment and financial assistance programs were still available and funded. In their statement, the commission reports that stopping the regular disconnection processes may unintentionally harm customers by making them ineligible to receive financial assistance from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) because no disconnection was imminent.