COLUMBIA--Duke Power will not cut off the electricity of customers 65 or older this winter, one of several policy changes resulting from the death of an 89-year-old Greenville woman whose power had been disconnected because of unpaid bills.

The company said Wednesday it also will not shut off power of customers with medical problems who don't pay bills this winter. The company will begin targeting customers 65 and older and those with medical conditions to make "a more rigorous attempt" to contact them or a third party before disconnection.

Duke also will calculate its temperature averages differently in determining at what point it will suspend disconnections, said Duke Power spokesman Tim Petit.

Those new policies should help prevent future tragedies, Petit said.

"Truly the best way we can help avoid similar situations like that is when companies, customers and communities work together," he said. "What we've learned from our comprehensive review is that has to be a shared responsibility."

Duke had placed a moratorium on disconnections for all its residential customers in December following the death of Elizabeth Verdin in Greenville. She died from hypothermia five days after the power to her home was shut off.

Verdin was sent repeated notices of her past-due bill and the possibility of disconnection, utility officials have said. A contract worker knocked on her door Dec. 6 to inform Verdin her power was being disconnected, but got no answer and left a notice on the doorknob.

From now on, the company says, if workers receive no answer at the door, an employee will leave behind information about programs and payment options. The company will try to contact the customer by phone, but the power won't be disconnected until additional account review and contacts, such as a neighbor, relative or state agency, are made.

Duke already prohibits shutoffs for customers whose doctors sign forms stating a disconnection could be harmful during the winter. The new policies only affect Duke customers, though Duke has shared them with other utilities and with state regulators, who have talked with utility officials to determine if new statewide policies are needed regarding power disconnections.

State Sen. David Thomas, R-Fountain Inn, said he hopes utilities statewide will notice Duke's changes. "At first blush this seems to be a dramatic improvement over what they had in the past."

Sen. Ralph Anderson, D-Greenville, applauded the policies but said he plans to continue to talk with other lawmakers to address the underlying issues.