National Grid condemns NY families to cold winter
The effects of the polar vortex last winter are still lingering in Upstate New York, where 24,000 households had their power shut off in June and July due to unpaid bills, reports Syracuse.com.
The utility National Grid terminated “more accounts in both June and July than it has in any month for at least nine years,” reports Syracuse.com. The recent spike in terminations comes as more people are unable to pay for gas and electricity this year in the wake of one of the coldest winters in recent memory. The electrical grid and gas pipeline system in New York and New England was on the verge of failing last winter due to frigid temperatures and inadequate pipeline infrastructure. Natural gas prices skyrocketed as there wasn’t enough pipeline capacity to get to fuel in the region. Syracuse.com reports that National Grid customers paid $316 million for power in March 2014, up from $203 million in Month 2013.