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As the U.S. economy plunges deeper into recession, more people are losing their jobs and scrambling just to cover the basic necessities of life. There are few industries left unscathed and few families not feeling the pinch. It's completely understandable that bills are piling up in households across the country, payments on accounts are overdue, and people are suffering. Although the effects of the economy were not the reason for 93-year-old Marvin Schur's overdue bills, he certainly suffered. Mr. Schur lived in Bay City, Michigan and owed more than $1,000 on his electric bill. He was found dead in his home - frozen to death - after the power company placed a governing device on his electric service. Sadly, his bills, paperclipped to the cash to pay them, were also found laid out inside the home. The electric limiting device was installed after Mr. Schur missed payments on his account. These types of devices limit power consumption by turning the electric service off if usage rises above a set amount. According to various news reports, when the limiting device was installed, no one from the electric company took the time to explain how it worked to Mr. Schur. When his body was found, it was 32 degrees inside the home and there was ice on the inside of the windows. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Mr. Schur's body reported the death was from hypothermia and had been slow and painful. It is not unusual for utilities to be disconnected for non-payment, although some state laws protect the elderly, disabled, and households with small children from this action during extreme weather. In Michigan, the law requires state-regulated companies to establish a winter protection program to prevent disconnection of electric service between December and March for low-income customers and senior citizens. However, people who qualify must register for the program, and Mr. Schur apparently did not. Sometimes it is circumstances, rather than an inability to pay, that causes elderly people to miss payments. Mr. Schur, a WWII medic, lived a simple and frugal life, but was not destitute. In his will, he left his entire estate, with an estimated value of $500,000, to Bay Medical Center. Although it maintains it did nothing wrong, the utility company has now stopped its practice of disconnecting power to those who have not paid their bills. It has also removed all electricity limiting devices. Tragically, it took Mr. Schur’s entirely preventable death, a criminal investigation by the Michigan State Police, public outrage, and media attention for Bay City Electric Light & Power to change its “pay up or die” policy. How many other families and elderly people suffered before the company’s policy was reversed - and how many other lives across the country are in danger because of such ruthless tactics? Granted, utility companies are not charities and their employees are not social workers. However, in the dead of winter in areas with extreme temperatures, common courtesy could go a long way. Had someone taken the time to knock on the door and speak with this gentleman about his overdue bill when the power limiter was installed, the situation could have been easily resolved and he would not have paid the ultimate price for an overdue bill. After all, a human life is worth more than $1,000 – isn’t it?
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  written by Fitzpatrick31Brandi, May 14, 2010
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