New 400 dollar grants may keep power on
"A person can't live... for six months without electricity, especially a family like that with so many young children.... We don't want another incident like that to take place," Mayor Daley said.
Five children from the Ramirez family and a toddler staying with them died at 7706 N. Marshfield in a September 2006 fire touched off by a candle used to help light a three-bedroom apartment. The electricity had been shut off - the family hadn't paid the bill.
The family's plight touched a nerve with Daley, who lashed out at the landlord for ignoring his "moral responsibility" to assist a family in need.
The mayor also demanded a new level of cooperation from ComEd officials, who agreed to provide City Hall with the addresses where electric service has been disconnected for nonpayment so city departments can make well-being checks.
The "PowerUp" Fund is an example of that cooperation.
The fund will be financed by a $1 million contribution from ComEd and $500,000 from the city. Edison also plans to add a feature to its monthly bills - patterned after Peoples Energy's Share the Warmth program - to make it easy for residential customers to contribute .The utility has agreed to match the first $500,000 worth of check-off contributions from customers.
ComEd Chairman and CEO Frank Clark estimated that the fund, potentially worth $2.5 million, would be enough to restore service to as many as 4,000 to 5,000 customers who earn too much money to qualify for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
ComEd customers can apply for the $400 grants at the offices of the Community Economic Development Association of Cook County.
Related News

Hydro One stock has too much political risk to recommend, Industrial Alliance says
TORONTO - A seemingly positive development for Hydro One is overshadowed by ongoing political and regulatory risk, Industrial Alliance Securities analyst Jeremy Rosenfield says.
On October 4, staff from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission filed updated testimony in support of the merger of Hydro One and natural gas distributor Avista.
The merger, which was announced in July of 2017 has received the green light from federal and key states, with Washington, Oregon and Idaho being exceptions.
But Rosenfield says even though decisions from Oregon and Idaho are expected by December, there are still too many unknowns about Hydro One to recommend investors…