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The moratorium blocking state utilities from shutting off power on residents over the summer ends for the year Wednesday, Oct. 15

That has pushed up demand at a Tempe food bank, the same week a microburst displaced over 130 people.

The Tempe Community Action Agency was already seeing jumps in demand for food boxes in recent months.

“We’ve seen 20% to 60% increases in the number of households coming through to where we’re almost, we’re getting closer to that pandemic level of people needing resources. And that was before the storm hit,” said Carrie Aranda, TCAA’s director of mission advancement.

She says the organization is already seeing more people looking for food assistance as the utility moratorium has ended.

“So we’re starting to see those things kind of come to fruition as far as people have been stretched thin for so long that now it doesn’t stretch,” Aranda said.

APS said about 12% of customers are past due. But it also said the utility offers ways to help people struggling with bills, including their Energy Support Program that offers monthly discounts for qualifying customers.