That is at least not as devastating as a five-figure electric bill, but it falls in the same category.
btw I'm not against helping out people who find themselves in a predicament that is (in a sense) not of their choosing. I mean, many people took the cheap contract, either hoping against or not knowing about a day of reckoning, A cold spell for so long and a state failure to find ways to keep the lights on? Kinda not the (direct) fault of the people who went for the variable-rate deal.
The situation can be likened to parents who bear a child with Down's Syndrome. Maybe they could have known there was a good chance of the condition; maybe not. But the kid is here and, if they need some help, I think it's in society's interest to provide help. However, if the state is going to socialize loss, it is fair to socialize gain as well through taxation. That's where the discussion starts to fall apart. Personal responsibility seems to stop hard at people's wallets.