Last year private electricity companies disconnected customers 834,000 times for failure to pay during summer months, leaving Texans to swelter in life-threatening heat #HostageToHeat 1/ atxne.ws/2OUSCHi 
A six month investigation found that as residents fell ill and died, regulators and lawmakers failed to provide relief, turning a blind eye to skyrocketing summertime disconnections 2/ atxne.ws/2OUSCHi
People with chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, who are more acutely affected by disconnections, have been cut off with alarming regularity, placing them in an even more vulnerable situation 3/ atxne.ws/2MPCWlZ
Similarly, those who work outside remain unprotected. There are no state laws in Texas to protect workers from the heat -- no mandated breaks, no shade requirements 4/ atxne.ws/2pv1IQe
Additionally, prepaid electricity plans have taken root in Texas more than perhaps any other state. These types of plans, which critics argue prey on low income customers and leave them in a cycle of disconnections, allow for even quicker cutoff 5/ atxne.ws/2MN2gcp
And it’s only getting hotter. The last decade was the hottest on record, leaving more than 100 Texans dead inside their homes of heat-related causes. During that period, summertime disconnections for failure to pay skyrocketed 117% 6/ atxne.ws/32pvl4j
Need help? For information on federal utility assistance providers or to file a complaint about your electricity provider go here #HostageToHeat 7/ atxne.ws/2pv2Bs2
Death lurks at the intersection of climate change and electrical utility policy. Texas regulators have failed to take action. Read the findings of the full six-month investigation #HostageToHeat here 8/8 atxne.ws/2OUSCHi
