AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin senior is not happy that Austin Energy cut his electricity for almost a week in triple-digit heat after finding what it calls a hazard.
We're in the dog days of summer – a bad time to get your power cut off. But that's exactly what happened to Neal Miller.
"Yeah, it's been six days," Miller said.
The 71-year-old, his daughter and his two grandkids have been without electricity at their East Austin home since Austin Energy cut it off on Tuesday.
"It made me mad, but I was trying to figure out what can I do about it," Miller said.
Crews were attempting to install a new smart meter but stopped when they saw exposed, frayed wires, which they call a hazard. Miller said the electricity was cut off before he could talk to them.
"The day that they cut it off, you know, I was at work and my stepdaughter called me," Miller said. "By the time I came back, you know, they'd already cut the lines. I asked him, I said, 'Well, you know, is there any way that we leave it on until I get an electrician?' He said, 'No, you can't do that because we've already seen it, and we're going to have to turn it off.'"
Miller said the wires have been out of place since a storm in 2019. He said Austin Energy crews came out then and rigged the wires themselves.
"He said, 'We will come back later and we'll do a better job.' But they never came back," Miller said.
Austin Energy said it does not disconnect power at homes during extreme temperatures for non-payment, but this was a safety hazard.
"There's a significant safety hazard, not only to the homeowner but also to the surrounding properties too," said Matt Mitchell, public information officer for Austin Energy. "It's been so dry here that even the slightest spark can ignite a wildfire and that can be extremely dangerous."
Miller said the most challenging part was finding an electrician, but he found one to fix the violations on Monday through recommendations and a lot of searching. He said all other electricians could only schedule a repair two weeks after the electricity was cut off.
"They're kind of backed up," Miller said.
Shortly after, Austin Energy came out, installed the smart meter and restored power to the family.
"Yes, yes, I'm very glad," Miller said.
Miller is still concerned about other senior citizens and families being stuck in the heat because of this issue.
Austin Energy said while it is unfortunate, safety comes first. It said this serves as a reminder to everyone to check the wires around their home because the utility company plans to do more installations around the city.
If you find your wires may be in bad condition or a tree or vegetation impacts the condition, call Austin Energy at 512-494 9400.