ORANGE PARK, Fla. — Mark Richter told Action News Jax he and his wife both work for the U.S. Department of the Treasury and were furloughed more than a month ago because of the government shutdown.
Richter said they haven’t been able to make any money to support their three kids in weeks and have been dipping into money from their savings to stay afloat. They live in Oakleaf Plantation and hoped Clay Electric would allow them to push back their recent power bill payment to come up with the money.
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“There’s no payment plans or anything we can do,” Richter said, “[Clay Electric] told us if you don’t make your payment after seven days, we will start the process to disconnect you.”
Action News Jax asked Clay Electric if it is doing anything to help customers, including those who are federal workers, who have been affected by the government shutdown. In response, Clay Electric told us, “Clay Electric cannot offer direct financial assistance, waive late fees, or extend payment deadlines.”
Action News Jax’s Finn Carlin followed up to ask if the company is directing customers to any resources that they may be able to utilize to get help with their power bills. Clay Electric replied, in part, by saying, “Our call center representatives and member service representatives do tell members where to go to apply for assistance.”
But Richter, when he called Clay Electric earlier this week, said he was never offered any resources.
“They didn’t tell me about any resources, no,” said Richter, “it was either pay, or get shut off.”
Clay Electric, unlike other local utilities, is a private company that isn’t regulated by any local government or the state. Instead, it’s run by its own members who are customers themselves. The cooperative also operates in 15 counties running from northeast to central Florida. Even though it doesn’t offer direct financial assistance, it does have a list of local resources, by county, that it offers to customers, which can be found here.
We also reached out to other power companies and utilities operating in northeast Florida to ask what services they may be providing to those struggling during the shutdown. Florida Power and Light (FPL) told us it offers both payment extensions and a “care to share” fund that allows customers to donate to other customers who are struggling. JEA told Action News Jax it offers payment extensions, payment plans and even ways for someone else to cover your bill for you.
Florida Commerce also has a resource that some companies, like Clay Electric and FPL, pass along to their customers. It’s called the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which puts federal money toward helping eligible families pay utility costs.
Richter said his extended family came together to cover his power bill this week, but he’s not sure what will happen next if the government doesn’t reopen soon.
“We just want to go back to work and do the right thing,” Richter said, “a lot of people are in a bad situation right now, and we definitely, we feel their pain.”
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