The family of a man who died of organ failure after living in a home without electricity or heat for weeks in the winter is demanding to know why his power was disconnected.

The New Brunswick government implemented a no-disconnect policy two years ago. It is meant to protect people who can't afford to pay their power bills from November to March.

Bertrand Durelle and his brother Paul were living in a home in Baie-Ste-Anne in northern New Brunswick during the winter and found they couldn't afford to pay their bills to NB Power.

Durelle said he contacted utility several times to say he couldn't pay the bill, which exceeded $1,500.

"I said, 'I can't send any money, I don't have any,'" Durelle said. "[NB Power] said to contact the province."

Letter sent to premier's office

Durelle sent a letter to the premier's office outlining that he and his brother were living on social assistance and couldn't afford to pay. The premier's office didn't respond to the letter, but government officials told CBC News the letter was forwarded to the Energy Department.

Power, however, was still cut in February, Durelle said.

After the power was cut, Durelle said he stayed in the house for another three weeks before deciding to leave. Paul, a diabetic, decided to stay behind, relying on a propane tank for warmth.

Durelle said he went back to the house to check on his brother a week later and found him unconscious on the floor with only a bag of bread in the house to eat and the propane tank was empty.

"I covered him up and could see that his feet were turning black from frostbite and he was purple," Durelle told CBC News.

Paul Durelle, 53, was taken to the hospital in Miramichi where he died of organ failure five days later, on April 5.

"I would never figure that happening in New Brunswick or Canada or any civilized country," Durelle said.

Policy should be reviewed: Opposition

The Opposition is demanding that the government review its no-disconnect policy.

"I can't believe that the premier said his policy is working very well," Conservative MLA Paul Robichaud told the legislature Thursday. "There's an individual who died, Mr. Speaker. There's over 600 people who have been disconnected this winter, Mr. Speaker, one of the worst winters in the history of New Brunswick."

The policy is being reviewed and it will be improved if necessary, said Premier Shawn Graham. The premier said, however, since the policy was introduced, the number of people being cut off during the winter months has reduced.

"The onus is on the homeowner to show NB Power that there is a need there and very clearly the no-disconnect policy says very clearly they will not be disconnected," Energy Minister Jack Keir.

Keir said on Friday the premier's office did not receive an e-mail from Durelle about their struggle to pay the power bills until April 2 after Paul had already been taken to hospital.

The Opposition questioned if and when the Durelle's MLA, Liberal Bill Fraser, had been contacted while there was still time to help the brothers.

Fraser declined to comment on the Durelle case on Friday. But Fraser said when he received calls about families unable to pay their power bills, he would call either NB Power or the Department of Energy on their behalf.

610 people cut off

NB Power told CBC News it cut off service to 610 homeowners who didn't pay their bills this past winter.

"We're not the experts in determining if someone is in economic need so we work very closely with the Department of Social Development," said Heather MacLean, spokeswoman for NB Power. "They're really the experts and they'll make that determination."

It is the responsibility of the customers who can't afford the bills to contact the department, MacLean said. NB Power doesn't do it on their behalf.

For people in need, the policy has too much red tape, said Linda McCaustlin, an anti-poverty advocate.

"They don't even know they can ask," McCaustlin said. "They don't have a clue what the policies are."

The system needs to change, Durelle said.

"There has to be some humanity in everything," Durelle said. "I wouldn't want to see an animal like that, so to see my brother or another human being in a situation like that is not human."

New Brunswick's coroner's office is also investigating Paul Durelle's death.