In Louisiana Can Your Power Be Cut Off During a Cold Snap?

Temperatures across Louisiana are plummeting this morning. The high yesterday in Shreveport was listed at 73 as of midnight it was 30 and dropping. A similar story can be told in Alexandria, Monroe, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. The cold weather is moving in and that is not the time when you want the power to go out.

Having the "lights go out" in Louisiana isn't uncommon. We often lose electrical service during tropical weather and severe thunderstorms. In fact, almost all of our electrical issues can either be blamed on Mother Nature and her mood swings or the occasional squirrel or rodent that finds its way into a substation with "shocking" results.

There is also the the occasional spate of winter weather with accumulations of ice and snow that can create service interruptions too.  But believe it or not, those big storms or icy conditions are not the most common reason that people lose their power service.

The most common reason for someone like you or me to be sitting in the dark is "we didn't pay the bill".  For many Louisiana families, the choice to pay for power or spend money on food is a monthly conundrum. But what if you find yourself in arrears with your hometown power company and the temperature outside is either extremely cold or in the case of a Louisiana summer, oppressively hot?

In Louisiana Can The Power Company Shut Off Your Power During Extreme Cold?

In cases where temperatures are below freezing in winter or heat advisories have been posted during summer having electrical service becomes less of a "luxury" and more of a life-saving necessity. That leaves utilities in a bit of a pickle. Sure, they need to get paid for their services. But no, they don't need to put Louisiana residents in harm's way because of economic reasons either.

This is where Louisiana's Public Service Commission has stepped in and clarified what utilities can and can't do in regard to service interruptions during times of extreme weather. The law was clarified in 2007 and is known as Docket No. R-29706: Disconnection of Service: Electric and Gas Utilities.

In that ruling by the PSC, the following guidelines for utilities were adopted in regard to the disconnection of service during periods of extreme cold:

Disconnection during extreme weather: An electric or natural gas utility
shall not disconnect service for a residential customer in a parish on a day when the
following extreme weather conditions exist within that parish:

Winter: The previous day’s highest temperature did not exceed 32 degrees
Fahrenheit and the temperature is predicted to remain at or below that
level for the next 24 hours, according to the nearest National Weather
Service (NWS) reports.
Summer: The nearest NWS issues a heat advisory as defined by the
NWS 

Natural gas utilities are not subject to this prohibition unless the customer uses natural gas to cool his or her home. Now we should note that the current cold snap Louisiana is experiencing would not meet the criteria for blocking service interruptions.

What If I Can't Pay My Power Bill?

Communication is always the key to any situation that concerns you. Every utility that serves Loiusiana customers has some kind of plan in place to help those who are having difficulties covering their bills. In many cases service interruptions can be avoided simply by contacting your power company, explaining your situation, and then setting up a payment plan.

Forecasters say Louisiana's current cold snap will last most of this week. Morning low temperatures will be close to freezing in many parts of the state. Afternoon high temperatures will remain in the 40s or low 50s too. Temperatures should start to moderate to more seasonal norms by the weekend.

Stay warm and be safe with those fireplaces and space heaters.