Reputation of utilities

It seems likely that US utilities are about to be in the bad-press doghouse, perhaps including the Berkshire ones.

During the pandemic there were widespread moratoriums on disconnecting people for unpaid utility bills.
But this largesse has to come to an end at some point.

One estimate is that there will be about 2 million accounts disconnected in the next few months.
It seems likely to me that this will lead to some bad press.
Big bad profitable corporations cutting off grandma’s oxygen pump and so forth.

Jim

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We have a Berkshire one that is in the bad-press doghouse (not CA)…the fact of the matter is they just don’t appear to like to do maintenance. The state utility commission has basically had to step in and force them to do equipment upgrades. Specifically where I live it was getting almost third worldish due to power outages and brownouts…after thousands of complaints…the local was finally forced to update 50 year old equipment. Their excuse…we can’t find this equipment any longer. (Really, ya think?!)

It seems likely that US utilities are about to be in the bad-press doghouse, perhaps including the Berkshire ones.

This recent “Last week tonight” show from John Oliver is about Utilities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-YRSqaPtMg

I was looking for a Berkshire subsidiary as a bad example, but didn’t see it (probably I don’t know them all).