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bjorn
Guest
is it allright to work for a natural gas utility company that turns off peoples gas in the winter time if they dont pay their bill? even if the people are elderly or have children in the home or are disabled?
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nike248
Guest
I don’t have a definite answer. If you don’t do your job, you don’t eat. However, leaving someone freezing is not the right thing to do either. I guess this what separates saints from regular people. The saint would turn the gas back on and pay for it themselves or lose their job over their beliefs. I would ask a good priest. Emphasis on GOOD.
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Benedictus
Guest
Turning someone’s gas off isn’t necessarily wrong, and, even if it were, it isn’t necessarily your responsibility to judge. Even if you were to see that the person is disabled, you don’t necessarily know the whole story. Maybe the disabled person really is being irresponsible. I don’t think that it’s your place to judge that.
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nike248
Guest
That’s definitely true. He usually doesn’t know the full story. That’s what makes it so tough.
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Pug
Guest
In general, I think it would be okay to turn off a service for non-payment if that is your job and you know you work for a reasonable company. But if I knew the full circumstances, and the person would freeze for real and had no options, I’d pay the bill myself if needed until the cold part of the year was over at least. Well, actually, I might ask the St. Vincent DePaul society to do it, as I think it is better to do stuff like that through an agency if possible. They would then visit the person to see all that they need and just be there as people for them.
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Dr.Colossus
Guest
Where I live it’s illegal for the gas/electric companies to turn off service (even for non-payment) if the temperature is below 28 degrees. I guess they figure above that temperature insulation will keep it warm enough inside not to freeze.
I happen to think that companies have the right to discontinue service regardless of the circumstances. They are providing a product which should be paid for. If they want to charitably give this product away in extenuating circumstances, that’s their prerogative, but I don’t believe they are morally obligated to do so.
I happen to think that companies have the right to discontinue service regardless of the circumstances. They are providing a product which should be paid for. If they want to charitably give this product away in extenuating circumstances, that’s their prerogative, but I don’t believe they are morally obligated to do so.
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Digitonomy
Guest
I would be careful in interpreting the results of the poll.
The text of the poll itself asks if it is wrong to disconnect the gas.
In your OP, you ask if it is alright to work for a company that does this.
Also, option 3 states yes, it is wrong to disconnect if they don’t pay their bill for 2 months - sounds like it’s ok to disconnect otherwise
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So there is a lot of room for confusion for those answering the poll, and I would value the written responses here a lot more than the poll numbers.
The text of the poll itself asks if it is wrong to disconnect the gas.
In your OP, you ask if it is alright to work for a company that does this.
Also, option 3 states yes, it is wrong to disconnect if they don’t pay their bill for 2 months - sounds like it’s ok to disconnect otherwise
.So there is a lot of room for confusion for those answering the poll, and I would value the written responses here a lot more than the poll numbers.
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kage_ar
Guest
A quick google will show you the Public Service or Public Utilities commission regulations for your state. Utilities (phone, gas, water, electric…) are all governed by strict regulations - these always go to the side of the customer to protect them. By the time someone actually gets shut off, they have been given opportunities to make other arrangements, etc. Check up on your state’s regs.
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christineRN
Guest
In my town, people can have Dr. orders to prevent gas or electricity from being disconnected or turned off due to medical reasons. Doctors, nurses and social workers in this area look out for their more frail patients if they do not have an advocate. In addition, individuals having difficult times are able to make payment arrangements to spread out their bill and pay when they can. I think it puts the responsibility back into the consumer’s court. If someone negligently did not pay their bills, I do not see how it would be the company’s or their employee’s moral obligation to keep the utilities on, given the various routes to maintain the utilities. In addition, the utility company sends warnings and information on the public services offered.
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