Speaker: Bereatha Howard
Say your name and where in Florida you live. How have high electricity bills impacted you? What are your concerns?
Bereatha Howard : Hi, my name is Bereatha Howard and I'm here to talk about, um, the impact of the high electricity bill have on people like myself who's living paycheck to paycheck. Right now. In the past I have struggled with the electricity bill, paying the electricity bill. Um, fortunately I'm living in a place that was built to be energy efficient. So I don't have that problem right now, but I know what it's like, uh, to live paycheck to paycheck and to have to prioritize your bills, the rent, the electricity, the light, the water bill, the food and gas and insurance and everything else that goes along with it. Unfortunately I know people who are living in conditions worse than mine. I know a mother with Children that's living in the projects who, which was built with no ac and they have a little window, um, unit and they all have to be in that room, um, to keep cool, uh, especially during the day and at night. Um, and also to make sure that the bill don't, you know, don't go too high because, you know, they have to be careful because their, uh, funds are limited so definitely impact a lot of people and I wish there was something um that we can do to leverage that a little better so that people can get some relief, especially during this record breaking heat wave. So thank you for listening and I hope you will adhere. Thank you.
What do you want to say to the utility corporations responsible? What do you want Florida's politicians to do?
Bereatha Howard : as the Light Bill. Um, well, I would like for them to take into account that these are different times. This is a record breaking heat wave that we have, we have never experienced before. Things are not normal like they used to be. And I expect for them to consider the safety of the public of which they were put in office for, to take that into account when they're allocating funds for relief for the heat and hoarding of the houses and helping people with their electricity bill because it's not an option of keeping the window open. Your body have to cool down your core, have to cool down at night for it to be efficient. And if it doesn't cool down at night, it's cumulative and it will wear down your body and organs and your health. So this is affecting everyone, especially the young and the old. Um, even, uh, and lately I have been informed that in extreme heat, um, people hiking and falling dead in one in one day, healthy young people is something that you cannot take for granted people. We have a lot of people here that's working in the farms that works in construction, building, doing a lot of buildings and we need to take their health into consideration. So remember what you were put in office for and remember that you have a duty to the public to serve and to look out for what's best for the community. So I thank you, sir, madam to do what you were put in office to do. Thank you.
