PHOENIX (AP) — Stephanie Pullman died one day in sweltering Arizona after a blackout due to $51 in debt.

Five years later, the 72-year-old man’s story is still central to efforts to prevent power outages from crippling Arizonas. life saving air conditioner at a temperature of Exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit Every day this month (43 degrees Celsius).

“Stephanie Pullman was the face of a fight that helped introduce a disconnection rule for a major regulated utility in Arizona,” said Stacey Champion, an advocate who pushed for the new regulation. “But we need more.”

Arizona State Public Service, known as APS, cut off power to Pullman in September 2018 when outside temperatures reached 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.6 degrees Celsius) in a retirement community west of Phoenix. Just a few days ago, a $125 payment was made against Pullman’s overdue invoice of $176.

Her body was later found in her home during a medical examination.

of medical examination room Pullman’s cause of death was exposure to environmental heat ” Complicated cardiovascular disease after closure.

Like many seniors in the Phoenix-area retirement community, Pullman is a native Midwesterner who had moved from Ohio, where his family remained, to live on his own.

Details about Ms Pullman’s life are unclear because her family cannot discuss the matter based on a private legal settlement with APS.

“I can’t speak,” Pullman’s son Tim Pullman, who received the call in Ohio, said.

After the 2019 settlement, Champion said her family suddenly stopped talking to her.

APS didn’t mention the settlement when it was contacted last week, but said in a statement that it was “we are here to help our customers and we are working to make sure they stay connected over the summer.” rice field.

In the wake of Pullman’s death, champions have demanded new rules to prevent the shutdown.The incident raised awareness of danger of extreme heatand it caused a change.

“People are becoming more aware that low-income people can lose power in their homes at any time,” said Tom Ryan, a consumer advocate and Phoenix attorney familiar with the Pullman case. “I wonder if someone spared her $51?”

In 2019, the Arizona Commission of Corporations, which regulates most of the state’s public utilities, issued an order suspending summer shutdowns by APS and other power companies it oversees.

Last year, the Committee blackouts are banned forever in the hottest months.

Utilities will suspend disconnection from June 1 through October 15, or on days forecast to be above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). You can choose to APS; Tucson Power Serving Arizona’s Second Largest City. UniSource, which supplies power in Mojave and Santa Cruz counties, opted for the date-based option.

APS confirmed that “overdue housing accounts will not be disconnected until mid-October” and late fees will be waived during that period. “If you are experiencing a delinquent bill, please contact us.

APS is a principal subsidiary of the publicly traded Pinnacle West Capital Corp. with approximately 1.2 million customers. that is, Up to 25% discount Eligible utility bills for eligible people, such as a family of three with a total monthly income of less than $4,143, or a single-person household with a total monthly income of $2,430 or less.

The Salt River Project (SRP), Arizona’s second-largest power utility, is known more as a power and irrigation district than a power utility, serving approximately 1.1 million customers. In addition, it supplies water to parts of the Phoenix metropolitan area. As a community-based, non-profit district, SRP is not overseen by state boards and is governed by an elected board and council.

The SRP has announced that it will suspend power outages during the excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service. But Champion noted that some people die without such warning on hot days.

Amid the current heat wave, the SRP on Friday suspended all unpaid cutoffs for residential and commercial customers through July, while unpaid cutoffs for economy rate plans for customers with limited income will continue until August. announced no.

“SRP’s priority is to maintain reliable and affordable power for our customers and we understand the importance of keeping our customers served during the hot Arizona summer months. We are,” the power company said in response to an inquiry. “We take the safety of our customers seriously and have programs in place to help those in need.”

“We urge customers who are having difficulty paying their bills for any reason to contact us as soon as possible so that we can provide a solution to avoid further financial distress,” the company said in a separate statement. rice field.

Governor Katie Hobbs sent a letter to Arizona’s power companies on Friday, outlining their plans for the heat wave, how they will deal with possible grid outages, and what to do if the power companies go out. I asked them to explain in detail in writing how they would respond. Emergency blackout.

Champion said he believes state legislation would help ensure stricter rules for utility outages, but nothing has been introduced in the state legislature.

Within the city limits of Phoenix, ordinance Landlords are required to ensure that air conditioning units cool no more than 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) and evaporative coolers reduce temperatures to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). Both types of cooling units must be maintained in good condition.

Maricopa County, home of Phoenix, report As of Wednesday, July 15th, 18 deaths from heatstroke confirmed this year A further 69 deaths are under investigation.

Only four confirmed heat-related deaths in 2023 occurred indoors. In three cases the air conditioning was out of order and in one case there was electricity but no power.

Maricopa County Confirmed 425 heat-related deaths The 2022 summer was the hottest on record for the region, with more than half occurring in July. 80% of deaths occurred outdoors.

Like Pullman, most of the 30 people who died indoors in the county last year were isolated, had mobility problems or medical problems. One of them, an 83-year-old woman with dementia, died in a house without an air conditioner switched on. She has been living alone since her husband entered hospice care.

A utility subsidy program for homeowners and renters has existed in the state for years, but proponents say the effort to protect people from blackouts on America’s hottest major subway system has continued since Pullman’s death. claimed to have increased.

Local governments and non-profit organizations often pay utility bills without any obligation to repay. Arizona Department of Economic Security It also helps with billing.

Efforts to help repair and replace faulty cooling systems have also increased.

Maricopa County used federal funds to make allocations in April another $10 million Participated in an air conditioning replacement and repair program for qualified individuals, raising a total of $13.7 million.

In Greater Phoenix and some rural Arizona counties, older low-income residents are eligible for free air conditioning repair or replacement. Health home air conditioning programrun by a non-profit organization Elderly Living Foundation. Last summer, about 30 people were able to purchase new air conditioners or repairs.

In a sign of danger to the elderly, two sisters were found by police at their home in Surprise, a suburb of Phoenix, earlier this month in a sweltering 114 degrees Fahrenheit (45.5 degrees Celsius) after a cooling system failed. was rescued.

“I hate the heat here,” said Paula Martinez, 93. Fox 10 news. Officers took her and her 87-year-old sister, Linda, to a senior center to cool off and bought new air conditioners with the ministry’s community grants.

Surprised police sergeant. Richard Hernandez said he still remembers him and his fellow police officers when Pullman died just five miles (8 kilometers) away.

“There’s certainly more awareness now than there used to be,” Hernandez said. “We kept saying, ‘If only we knew, we could have helped.'”