Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • NPR

    'Tidal Wave' Of Power Shut-Offs Looms As Nation Grapples With Heat

    Power shut-off moratoriums imposed at the start of the pandemic are beginning to expire. Customers and utilities face a backlog of missed bills that may eventually be passed on to ratepayers.
    by Nathan Rott Jul 28, 2020 6 minutes
    West Atlanta resident Harriet Feggins has been out of work since March because of the pandemic. So far she has managed to pay her electric bill by scraping together odd jobs and dipping into her 401(k). "I'm trying to do everything I can," she says, but she worries it won't be enough.

    Wykeisha Howe is trying to be thrifty. When her kids are uncomfortable in the sweltering Atlanta heat, she gives them freeze pops. Instead of cranking up the air conditioner, she uses a fan. Lunch and dinner are cooked at the same time, so the electric stove doesn't have to be turned on twice.

    "I try my best to manage and ration out things as best as possible," she says.

    Still, Howe, who has five kids living at home, is about a month and a half behind on her electric bill. For the last four months, the bill didn't need to be a priority. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, her electricity provider, Georgia Power, voluntarily suspended disconnections for nonpayment.

    Dozens of states and utilities around the U.S. took similar actions, ensuring that even as businesses closed and millions of Americans lost their jobs, people would still be able to keep their lights on regardless of their ability to pay.

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from NPR

    NPR5 min readWorld
    When Rockets Fall, Some Israeli Citizens Have Nowhere To Hide
    While most buildings in Israel are required to have bomb shelters, a zoning catch-22 has left Bedouin villagers unprotected.
    NPR3 min read
    Renowned Painter And Pioneer Of Minimalism Frank Stella Dies At 87
    Frank Stella was one of America's leading minimalist artists and a pioneer of the minimalist movement of the early 1960s. The movement challenged the idea that art was meant to be representative.
    NPR2 min read
    A Seafood Bounty Lures Sea Lions To S.F.'s Pier 39 In Numbers Not Seen In 15 Years
    It's a popular rest stop for sea lions, but the docks at the tourist hot spot these days are unusually packed out with the slippery residents. Conservationists are buoyed by the surge in visitors.

    Related Books & Audiobooks