Moore man's power turned off in cold temperatures

MOORE, Okla. (KFOR) — A metro man has been left in the dark and the cold for days after his power was cut off.

Joe Torres lives in apartments near NW 23rd Street and Nottingham Way in Moore and his power was shut off Monday morning.

Torres has several health issues and said he doesn't know how much longer he'll be able to live in his apartment without any electricity.

"It's just cold. It's just cold," said Torres. "It gets down to the 40s in here. I haven't eaten because I can't cook anything."

Torres said he moved in four months ago, but was told he would need to pay a remaining balance from his previous apartment.

"I just wasn't aware of it," said Torres.

Now, in the middle of the winter, Torres said the only thing giving him a little warmth is the sun.

"At 5:30, when the sun goes down, it drops like that. I get under the blankets," said Torres. "I just want them to stay warm. I sleep with my clothes and coat on and I don't even sleep in there."

News 4 contacted OG&E and a spokesperson sent us the following statement.

While we cannot provide specific account information without a customer's express permission, our customer support team is working with the customer to re-connect his service.

Generally speaking, we are aware customers may experience financial hardships, which is why we offer a variety of pricing options and programs to help customers manage their monthly bill and energy usage. Qualified customers may agree to an installment plan to pay outstanding balances; customers are expected to make regular payments to maintain their installment plan.

Customers may also contact the Department of Human Services to see if they qualify for state or federal assistance. We partner with The Salvation Army and the Homeless Alliance, among other agencies, to provide direct bill assistance for qualified customers. Customers may reach out to these organizations, or call 211 to see if other financial assistance options are available

OG&E spokesperson

According to OG&E's website, if temperatures reach below 32 degrees on the day of disconnection, the company will then suspend disconnection of service.

The high temperature in OKC on Monday was 29 degrees according to our 4Warn Storm Team.

News 4 asked OG&E why they still cut off Torres' power, but they have not given us an answer yet.

Torres said OG&E called him on Tuesday, but said he would need to pay $150 in order to turn his power back on and they would then work out a payment arrangement.

He said he can't afford that right now, so he's at a loss.

"I've got type two diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, neuropathy in both my hands and my feet. It's hard to walk," said Torres. "Just turn me on that way, my dogs, you know, will be warm. So we can have heat and I can cook."

OG&E did let us know just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday that the power was turned back on.

But again, we're still waiting to hear why Torres' power was turned off, despite their policy.

We'll check back.