Stories like this hit me really hard. It's pathetic to think in these times, a person like this can't be given the little bit of help he needed. Utility companies could easily fund the cost to put in place a process by which to handle accounts flagged as "special" as this one could have been. Hell, they collect money from customers now (Like our local that rounds up your monthly bill and that extra change helps pay peoples bills can't pay theirs) to pay other people bills. But the goal is to just get the money, not help the people.
In this case, the guy had the money. He had no need for a hand out, he just needed a hand. He was 93 years old and fought in WWII and even after a year of knowing he could pay, just was having trouble knowing how and where to pay, and repeated contact by the utility co, no one stepped up and did something to help him. Hell, when he died, he had utility bills with money attached laying in his house. He just needed someone to help him get the payments to the utility. They utility had not problem sending people out to read the meter and even to put a limiter on it, but they couldn't knock on the door and take the payments he wanted to make.
Man who froze had history of late utility payments - CNN.com
In this case, the guy had the money. He had no need for a hand out, he just needed a hand. He was 93 years old and fought in WWII and even after a year of knowing he could pay, just was having trouble knowing how and where to pay, and repeated contact by the utility co, no one stepped up and did something to help him. Hell, when he died, he had utility bills with money attached laying in his house. He just needed someone to help him get the payments to the utility. They utility had not problem sending people out to read the meter and even to put a limiter on it, but they couldn't knock on the door and take the payments he wanted to make.
Man who froze had history of late utility payments - CNN.com
