Lawmakers and a non-profit group appealed to utility providers, according to USA Today, concerned that a protracted federal government shutdown would endanger millions of people.

What's happening?

Just after midnight on Oct. 1, the federal government shut down when lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on what the Harvard Kennedy School described as a health insurance "subsidy cliff," which would cause premiums to skyrocket for tens of millions of Americans.

The government shutdown persisted into November, leaving roughly 1.4 million federal workers without pay for the duration, according to the BBC.

Although USA Today's coverage focused on the risks of winter shutoffs, a 55-year-old Missouri woman died in June after her electricity was turned off for non-payment during a heat wave.

Negotiations in Congress have been largely unproductive to date. 

Why is this so urgent?

On Oct. 22, 53 House members published a letter pleading with major utility providers to "suspend late penalties and utility shutoffs" for unpaid federal workers as the shutdown dragged on with no end in sight.

The day prior, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) issued a press release calling on utilities to suspend electricity and gas shutoffs until Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds are once again available to ratepayers in arrears.

NEADA Executive Director Mark Wolfe cited skyrocketing energy bills and a long wait for funds to be released, even if the shutdown ended immediately, as critical factors. 

"The situation is really grim regarding [rising energy] pricing and availability of LIHEAP funds. Even if all goes well now, the earliest we will see funds will be December," Wolfe fretted.

The Sierra Club shared a similar letter on Oct. 23. Like NEADA, the nonprofit emphasized that millions of Americans already struggled to "afford to keep the lights on and maintain their homes at a safe and comfortable temperature" before the shutdown, due to relentless rate increases.

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According to NEADA, a staggering one in six American households is behind on their utility bills, and rates shot up nearly 10% between January and June.

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What's being done about it?

"​​It would be irresponsible, and downright dangerous, to cut families off from power just as the weather is beginning to turn cold in many states," the Sierra Club's letter said.

Contacting lawmakers to demand action on utility shutoffs can prompt Congress to take further action.

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