Sun City West APS Customers Get New 95-Degree Protection Against Residential Shutoffs

Residential customers in Sun City West who receive electric service from Arizona Public Service have an announced additional safeguard against nonpayment shutoffs during extreme heat.

Under a proposed $7 million consent judgment announced by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on April 15, 2026, APS would halt residential disconnections for nonpayment when the following day’s forecast reaches at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The protection would apply outside the existing June 1 through October 15 summer disconnection moratorium.

How the two protections work

The Arizona Corporation Commission said June 2 that APS had signed a settlement with the Attorney General’s Office adding no-disconnection protection when temperatures are forecast to exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature protection is a settlement term involving APS, not a statewide commission mandate.

For 2026, APS has opted not to disconnect residential customers for late payment, nonpayment or accumulated debt from June 1 through October 15. Outside that period, the announced settlement term would require APS to hold a residential nonpayment disconnection when the following day’s forecast reaches 95 degrees or higher.

The summer moratorium does not pause or forgive bills. Energy-use charges and other amounts continue to accumulate, and customers remain responsible for their balances.

Why Sun City West is part of the case

The local connection is through APS’s service territory, not a Sun City West city government. Sun City West is an unincorporated census-designated place in Maricopa County, and APS’s Phoenix metropolitan service-territory map includes the community. Residents should confirm that APS serves their address because water and other utility services are separate.

The Attorney General’s investigation included the May 13, 2024, remote disconnection of Katherine Korman’s APS electric service at her Sun City West home for nonpayment. The Attorney General’s release said the disconnection occurred when the daily high temperature in her area reached approximately 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Korman was found deceased at the residence on May 19, 2024.

The Attorney General’s Office said Korman’s cause of death was not determined as part of the action. The proposed settlement resolves allegations under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act; APS did not acknowledge wrongdoing, according to reporting by The Associated Press.

Customer assistance and notices

The proposed judgment would fund $1 million for the Arizona Consumer Assistance and Education Program, with at least $800,000 applied as bill credits for eligible customers facing service termination before September 1, 2026. The credits are not automatic. Eligibility, timing and enrollment procedures must be confirmed through APS or the administering program.

The proposal also calls for text-message alerts for past-due and disconnection notices and an enhanced Safety Net program. Designated emergency contacts could receive critical alerts, including past-due notices, disconnection warnings and outage notifications, by text or email.

The Attorney General’s release describes $2.75 million in monetary relief, $1 million in consumer assistance and $3.4 million in programmatic improvements in its detailed settlement terms. Its opening summary lists $3.1 million in improvements. The final court order, if signed, should control the precise allocation.

What the protection does not do

A temperature hold would prevent a qualifying nonpayment disconnection; it would not erase an overdue balance. Bills and new energy charges continue during the summer moratorium, and a customer whose service has already been disconnected is not automatically reconnected solely because temperatures rise. Local reporting has said APS requires a payment agreement for reconnection.

Customers can check their APS account, ask about payment arrangements and inquire about assistance by contacting APS at 602-371-7171. The Arizona Corporation Commission also directs residents to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Power AZ assistance resources.

Status of the settlement

As of August 5, 2026, the Attorney General’s public announcement still describes the consent judgment as proposed and says it is not final until signed by the Maricopa County Superior Court. Residents should check for a signed judgment or current APS implementation instructions before relying on the credit program or other detailed settlement procedures.

Sources

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