New heat rules limit when utilities can cut off your power

California's Public Utilities Commission has tightened rules on when power companies can disconnect service for unpaid bills. According to CalMatters, the commission voted this week to lower the temperature threshold for shutoff protection from one hundred degrees to ninety degrees. The change responds to safety concerns raised by consumer advocates, especially for rural residents, where losing electricity can also mean losing water access and ways to cool down during dangerous heat. The decision rejects utilities' preferred approach, which would have used CalHeatScore, a newly created state heat-scoring tool based on ZIP code.

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