Justice First is pleased to announce that D.C. Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. of Ward 5 has introduced Justice First’s proposed legislation “Winter Moratorium on Shutoffs of Heat Amendment Act of 2010”! This legislation will make it illegal for Pepco or Washington Gas to shut off any D.C. resident’s heat during the winter.

Under current D.C. law, Pepco and Washington Gas have the right to shut off any customer during the winter for inability to pay as long as temperatures stay above 32 degrees on the day of disconnection. This means that, on a “warm” winter day, your heat could be shut off, and it will stay off regardless of how cold it gets until you can come up with the exorbitant sums demanded by the utility giants.

It was the work of all of us—including nearly 2,000 letters that supporters like you sent to the D.C. government and officials—that has made this possible. This is a very important first step.

A Winter Moratorium will have a deep and meaningful impact on D.C. families. Due to the doubling of electricity rates in the District in the last five years, more and more families are forced to make the unconscionable decision of paying their electric and gas bill or buying groceries or paying for medical treatment.

Anyone who gets a disconnection notice cannot help but be filled with dread, especially the elderly and families with young children. During the winter, it is dark by 5 pm and regularly drops below freezing. On top of it all, this winter, D.C. resident endured a record-breaking 56 inches of snow.

Next week, we will be announcing plans for a Coordinated Call-In Day where we will flood the D.C. Councilmembers with phone calls, emails, letters and faxes, demanding that they support the bill. Even if you are not a D.C. resident, please participate. Success in the District of Columbia will set a precedent for your jurisdiction to enact the same type of Winter Moratorium.

At Justice First, we believe that heat and electricity are a right. Justice First’s “Winter Moratorium on Shutoffs of Heat Amendment Act of 2010” is just the first step. To start, it will bring peace and assurance to the hearts of tens of thousands of D.C. residents that they will have heat in their homes during the winter, even if, for example, they are laid off or have unexpected medical expenses.

Now we have to fight to make sure that this bill becomes a law! The utility giants will fight tooth and nail to get rid of this legislation so that they can continue threatening D.C. residents with a shutoff during the coldest time of year to get as much money from them as possible. We have to push them back!

We will be utilizing every avenue available, including rallies, press conferences, petitioning drives, newspaper ads and coordinated days of action, to make sure the “Winter Moratorium on Shutoffs of Heat Amendment Act of 2010” becomes the law, but we cannot do it without your help. We need you to make a donation today. Every dollar helps to make sure working families aren’t left in the cold.

Read Justice First's proposed legislation, the "Winter Moratorium on Shutoffs of Heat Amendment Act of 2010."