The kinds of protection states use
| Protection | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Written notice | The company must warn you in writing, with a date, before it can disconnect for nonpayment. |
| Timing limits | No disconnection on weekends, holidays or the day before, unless staff are available to take payment. |
| Extreme weather | No disconnection on very cold days or during a heat advisory. Some states also use a calendar moratorium. |
| Medical need | A doctor’s certificate can delay a shutoff, often for a set number of days, and may require a payment plan. |
| Assistance pledges | A pledge from an aid agency can hold a shutoff while the agency pays. |
| Disputed charges | You cannot be disconnected over the part of a bill that you are properly disputing. |
| Payment arrangements | You can ask for installments, and the company may have to offer them in some conditions. |
A checked example: Texas residential rules
The Public Utility Commission of Texas rule on disconnection of service sets these terms for competitive retail providers. They are one state's rules, shown to make the general categories concrete.
| Situation | Protection under the rule |
|---|---|
| Notice timing | A notice cannot be issued before the day after the bill is due. It must be a separate mailing, hand delivery or email if agreed, and the disconnection date must be at least ten days after the notice is issued. |
| Days | The disconnection date cannot fall on a holiday, a weekend or a day the provider cannot take payments. |
| Disputed bills | Failure to pay disputed charges is not a basis for disconnection, except for the amount not in dispute. |
| Cold weather | No nonpayment disconnection in a county in an extreme weather emergency, which includes a day after the highest temperature did not exceed 32 degrees Fahrenheit with that cold predicted to continue. |
| Heat | The same applies on a day the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory for the county, or did in the prior two calendar days. |
| Medical need | A critical care customer can avoid disconnection for 63 days from the bill issuance if the physician confirms and sends a written statement, and the customer enters a deferred payment plan. |
| Chronic condition | A customer designated under the chronic condition rule is not disconnected for nonpayment, but the provider must still send a separate written notice at least 21 days ahead. |
| Assistance pledge | No disconnection in a billing period in which the provider gets a pledge from an energy assistance provider by the notice due date, with at least 45 days allowed for the pledge to be honored. |
Source: Texas rule text read on October 10, 2026. Rules change, and this is one state's rule used as a worked example. Your state's rules differ, so confirm with your utility and your state commission.
Find the rules for your state
Your state commission publishes the rules and takes complaints. Choose your state below. The commission's website usually has a consumer section with disconnection rules, and many have a phone line.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Municipal utilities and cooperatives may follow their own board or city rules, so ask the utility directly if it is not investor-owned.
What these protections do not do
- They pause a shutoff. The balance stays due, and later bills can include late charges where rules allow them.
- They do not guarantee power. Even a medical designation does not relieve a customer of the duty to pay, and service can still be disconnected under the rules.
- They differ a lot by state and by type of utility, and some apply only if you ask in writing before the date.
If you have a notice
- Read the date and the amount. Call before the date, not after.
- Ask which protections apply: weather, medical, assistance pledge, payment arrangement.
- Get help started: see emergency bill assistance.
- If the company will not follow its rules, file a complaint with your state commission and keep your notes.
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
Can my electric be shut off in winter or summer?
It depends on your state and your utility. Many rules limit shutoffs on very cold days or during heat advisories, and some use calendar moratoria. Check your state commission, and ask your utility which rule applies.
How much notice must an electric company give?
It differs by state. In Texas, competitive retail providers must give a separate written notice with a disconnection date at least ten days after the notice is issued.
Can a doctor stop a shutoff?
Often a physician’s certificate can delay a shutoff for a set number of days. In Texas it protects a critical care customer for 63 days from the bill issuance, if a deferred payment plan is in place.
Where do I complain about a wrongful shutoff?
To your state commission. Municipal utilities and co-ops may have a board or city office that handles complaints.