Oxygen Dependent Woman Dies Because Power Company Terminated Her Electricity

A worker from the National Grid electricity supplier went to the Phaneuf’s New Hampshire home this past Monday. The worker claims to have knocked on the door and rang the doorbell.  When no one answered, he shut off the power to the home. Apparently, the Phaneuf’s had not paid their electric bill.

Less than an hour later, her husband found her unconscious. Mrs. Phaneuf depended on oxygen to breathe. When the power was cut off, her oxygen equipment did not have the electricity it needed to operate. She was taken to  Caritas Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Massachusetts, where she died this past Thursday. 

The state Public Utilities Commission and Salem police are investigating whether any regulations were broken by National Grid. State law dictates that power can not be shut off to any home that relies on electricity for medical purposes. However, the law also says that the emergency certification, written by a doctor, must be updated every 60 days. Even though every state keeps such a list of patrons with medical emergency priorities, there are vast differences in how these lists are legally applied by state. There is also a severe lack of awareness about such a medical priority list  in most states.   

National Grid is refusing to comment on why the power was shut off, citing confidentiality and privacy reasons, but David Graves, a spokesman for the company, says that the residence had been notified in writing that the service was going to be cut off. The company is insinuating that the account had not been paid and the emergency certification had not been renewed.  The spokesman admitted that the Phaneuf’s account had previously had an emergency medical certification in the past. He did not know if the power had ever previously been terminated at the Phaneuf’s home. 

In response to Mrs. Phaneuf’s death, Gov. John Lynch has asked the Public Utilities Commission to conduct a broad review of utility companies’ procedures on power shutoffs.

My Two Cents:

As usual, we have a needed law that is poorly applied and poorly enforced. Where is the common sense? Mrs. Phaneuf had previously submitted a doctors order placing her on the medical priority list. Whether or not she renewed her name to the list is not yet clear. However, even if she had not renewed her emergency certification, it would be prudent for electrical companies to have a policy of not cutting off the power to any home that had a past medical certification until they personally speak with the person….as many elderly, lame, and handicapped people might not have the mental or physical ability to necessarily renew that certification-duh!