No one should be forced to choose between warmth and food, lights and medication. Yet every winter, that’s the impossible choice thousands of New Orleans families face when utilities like Entergy and Delta threaten to shut off gas and electricity during the coldest months of the year.

This winter, with natural gas prices at a three-year high and weather patterns growing more extreme, it’s more urgent than ever that the New Orleans City Council act now to prevent deadly disconnections.

We, the undersigned, call on the New Orleans City Council to immediately pass a moratorium on utility shutoffs through March 1—and to work toward a permanent policy that treats energy access as the basic human right it is.

Entergy and Delta Utilities may claim they offer payment plans or resources, but too many residents fall through the cracks. In 2022, nearly 20% of Entergy New Orleans customers needed deferred payment plans just to keep the lights on. And with gas prices up 60% from last year, this winter is shaping up to be even harder on low-income households, elders, and families with children.

Councilmember Oliver Thomas has already voiced his support. Now we urge the full council to follow through—to step up for residents over corporate profits and guarantee that no one freezes in the dark because they couldn’t afford a sky-high utility bill.

This is not about politics. It’s about compassion, dignity, and survival.

We call on the New Orleans City Council, especially the utility and climate change committees, to enact this winter moratorium immediately—and to begin building long-term solutions that prioritize public health and economic justice.

Let New Orleans be a city where no one is left in the cold.

Photo: Blake Paterson / nola.com