PHOENIX, ARIZONA: The death of an elderly woman has now reportedly become the center of regulated utility policy changes in Arizona. Stephanie Pullman lost her life in September 2018 after being left without power on a very hot day. The electricity was disconnected for the 72-year-old woman when she apparently failed to pay a $51 debt.
Stacey Champion, an advocate who worked to bring change, said, “Stephanie Pullman was the face of the fight that helped put the disconnect rules in place for the big, regulated utilities in Arizona. But we need more,” as reported by The New York Post.
Who was Stephanie Pullman?
Pullman was a retired woman, who was living alone on less than $1,000 per month in Social Security. However, her life was cut short five years ago when she did not pay her electricity debt. Arizona Public Service (APS) was reportedly behind this as Pullman’s power was cut off in the month of September when outside temperatures had gone up to 107 degrees Fahrenheit.
The old woman was eventually found dead during a welfare check. The cause of her death was determined to be "environmental heat exposure in the setting of significant cardiovascular disease." At the time, her daughter Jeanine Smith reportedly stated, “She only said she needed money for her water bill. She said nothing about an electric bill,” before mentioning, “Honestly, I don’t think she knew that it was going to be shut off. She always called and asked us.”
She also slammed APS, saying, “I told APS, ‘You ended my mom’s life for $51. And you destroyed this family,” and added, “I don't want to speak to them. There's nothing they can do or say to change it.”
How did Stephanie Pullman’s death help in getting new rules to stop shutoffs?
Phoenix attorney Tom Ryan, a consumer advocate, has reportedly explained, “People are now more cognizant that low-income people can lose the power in their home at any time. Couldn’t someone have spared her the $51?” Surprise Police Sgt Richard Hernandez also noted, “There certainly is more awareness now than there used to be. We kept saying, ‘If we had only known, maybe we could have helped.’”
It has been said that nearly a year after Pullman’s death, the Arizona Corporation Commission, which supervises APS and other power firms, released an order which temporarily prohibited summertime power cut-offs. However, in 2022, the commission reportedly entirely banned electricity cut-offs during the hottest months of the year.
APS also shared in a statement, “There will be no disconnections for past due residential accounts through mid-October. We urge customers who are struggling with overdue bills to contact us so we can work with them to get their account in good standing and try to keep balances from continuing to build.”
Apart from APS, the Salt River Project or SRP also provides electricity in Arizona. It reportedly said, “SRP’s priority is to maintain reliable and affordable power for our customers, and we understand the significance of keeping customers in service during Arizona’s hot summer days. We value our customers’ safety and have programs in place to assist those in need.” SRP also said, “We urge customers who are having difficulty paying their bill for any reason to contact us as quickly as possible so we can offer solutions to help them avoid a worsening financial situation.”
