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A moratorium on disconnections is set to expire on July 1. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)
CALIFORNIA If there s any measure of additional pain inflicted upon Californians by the coronavirus pandemic beyond unemployment and untimely deaths, it can be partially reflected in the number of unpaid utility bills. As the pandemic intensified so did the number of customers unable to pay for electric, gas, water and services provided by the state s investor-owned, publicly-owned and private utility companies. A moratorium imposed last year by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which regulates many electric and gas utilities, has prohibited the companies from pulling the plug or shutting off gas to customers unable to pay – both residential and commercial.