Coronavirus: Millions are at risk of utilities being shut off as protections expire

Keeping the lights on will get harder for millions of struggling Americans.

State-level protections against electricity, water, and gas disconnections are quickly expiring across the U.S. just as colder weather looms, unemployment remains high, and the prospect for additional government aid remains uncertain.

By mid-November, utility shutoff moratoriums in seven states will expire, while protections in six states will lapse by the end of the year, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. Already, protections have expired or don’t exist in 33 states.

By the end of the month, 82 million households won’t have shutoff protections, including 11 million households that were living below the poverty line before the pandemic began and 10 million people who are unemployed, according to a study by Carbon Switch, an energy-efficiency startup.

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