Can They Shut Off My Heat in Winter? 2026–27 State Rules

A shutoff notice in October can feel like a countdown to a cold house. But in most states, winter changes the rules. The question is which rule applies to you — and what you have to do to use it.

This guide covers state winter shutoff protections for the 2026–27 heating season: a 50-state table, the three things these rules don’t do, and what to say when you call. We read Minnesota’s, New Jersey’s and Ohio’s rules in full, because they show the three main types.

If you need money for the bill itself, start with LIHEAP energy assistance at the same time. The winter rule buys time; LIHEAP and a payment plan pay the bill.

The Short Answer

Question	Answer
Is there a winter shutoff rule in my state?	42 states (counting DC) have some cold-weather protection, per HHS’s LIHEAP Clearinghouse summary
What kind?	28 use a date window (like November 1 to March 31); others block shutoffs only on cold days (often 32°F or below)
Is it automatic?	Often no. Many rules apply only to certain households, or only if you sign and keep a payment plan
Do I still owe the money?	Yes. Protections “do not reduce customer’s past due arrearages”
Does it cover every utility?	No. City utilities, rural co-ops and propane/oil sellers are generally not covered by state commission rules

Three Things a Winter Rule Does Not Do

The LIHEAP Clearinghouse disconnect page, run for HHS’s Office of Community Services, puts three warnings at the top. They are the most important part of this guide.

1. It does not erase the bill. “Utilities continue to bill customers for usage and service occurring during periods when disconnections are restricted.” The past-due amount keeps growing.
2. It does not last. These policies “do not prevent later service disconnection when restrictions do not apply.” When spring comes, the shutoff can come back.
3. It may not cover your provider. “In general, municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives and deliverable fuel providers are not regulated by PUCs/PSCs.” If you heat with propane or oil, or your power comes from a city utility or co-op, ask it directly.

Winter Shutoff Rules by State

This table shows the cold-weather entry for each state in the Clearinghouse summary (last updated April 2026). “Date window” means shutoffs are limited during those dates. Many windows protect only some households — the notes say who. Always confirm with your state utility commission, because orders change.

State	Date window	Cold-day rule	Who is protected / notes
Alabama	—	32°F or below
Alaska	—	—	30 days’ notice if someone seriously ill, elderly, disabled or on life support
Arizona	—	32°F and below	Summer rules too
Arkansas	Nov 1 – Mar 31	32°F and below
California	—	Forecast 32°F or below within 72 hours
Colorado	—	32°F and below
Connecticut	Nov 1 – May 1	—
Delaware	Nov 15 – Mar 31	32°F and below
District of Columbia	—	32°F and below
Florida	—	—	No cold-weather or vulnerable-population policy listed
Georgia	Nov 15 – Mar 15	32°F and below
Hawaii	—	—	No policy listed
Idaho	Dec 1 – Mar 31	—
Illinois	Dec 1 – Mar 31	32°F and below
Indiana	Dec 1 – Mar 15	—
Iowa	Nov 1 – Apr 1	20°F or below
Kansas	Nov 1 – Mar 31	35°F or below
Kentucky	—	—	Medical certificate can stop a shutoff
Louisiana	—	32°F and below
Maine	Nov 15 – Apr 15	—
Maryland	Nov 1 – Mar 31	32°F and below
Massachusetts	Nov 15 – Mar 15	—
Michigan	Nov 1 – Mar 31	—
Minnesota	Oct 1 – Apr 30	—	Payment agreement required — see below
Mississippi	Dec 1 – Mar 31	Freeze-warning days
Missouri	Nov 1 – Mar 31	32°F and below	Registered low-income elderly or disabled customers on a payment plan
Montana	Nov 1 – Apr 1	—	Winter shutoffs need commission approval
Nebraska	—	—	30-day winter extension for all households
Nevada	—	15°F or 20°F (lower bar for elderly/disabled)	Depends on region
New Hampshire	Nov 15 – Mar 31	—	Commission approval needed for customers 65+ or with known hardship
New Jersey	Nov 15 – Mar 15	32°F or below	Listed groups only — see below
New Mexico	Nov 15 – Mar 15	—	Households that meet LIHEAP guidelines
New York	Nov 1 – Apr 15	—	Utilities must make a special effort to check health and safety
North Carolina	Nov 1 – Mar 31	—	Elderly, disabled, and crisis-assistance-eligible customers
North Dakota	—	—	Payment plans; protections for 65+ and medical emergencies
Ohio	Nov 1 – Apr 15 (summary); state order Oct 12, 2026 – Apr 16, 2027	—	$175 reconnect order — see below
Oklahoma	—	Forecast under 32°F
Oregon	—	Forecast 32°F or below
Pennsylvania	Dec 1 – Mar 31	—	Customers at or below 250% of poverty level (150% for one utility)
Rhode Island	Nov 1 – Apr 15	—	Unemployed, elderly, disabled, LIHEAP, seriously ill, or infant under 2, with hardship
South Carolina	—	—	Special-needs certificate
South Dakota	—	—	30-day delay in winter
Tennessee	—	—	Each utility sets its own extreme-weather rules
Texas	—	Under 32°F
Utah	Nov 15 – Mar 15	—	Must have applied for help and meet a hardship test
Vermont	—	10°F or lower; below 32°F for elderly
Virginia	—	Forecast below 32°F within 24 hours
Washington	Nov 15 – Mar 15	—	Customers who qualify or apply for energy help and keep a payment plan
West Virginia	—	32°F or below
Wisconsin	Nov 1 – Apr 15	—	Summary lists income under 250% of poverty, or elderly, disabled, sick or infants at home
Wyoming	—	Forecast under 32°F within 48 hours

Nine states in the summary have no cold-weather rule at all: Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee. Several of them still have medical or age protections, shown in the notes.

Three States Up Close: What the Official Rules Actually Say

A summary table can’t tell you how a rule works in real life. So we opened three states’ own rules. Each shows a different type — and two of them did not match the federal summary exactly.

Minnesota: protection starts today, but you must make a deal

Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule is state law, Minn. Stat. 216B.096. The “cold weather period” runs October 1 through April 30 — the earliest start in the country, per the Clearinghouse table.

It is not a free pass. A utility “may not disconnect and must reconnect” heat for a household at or below 50% of state median income — but only if the household makes a payment agreement and keeps up with it. The law caps what the utility can demand: it “may not require a customer to pay more than ten percent of the household income” toward current and past heating bills.

Other details in the law:

• If you already get energy assistance with the same income limit, you are “deemed to be automatically eligible” — no other income proof needed.
• If your income is above that line, you still have “the right to a payment agreement,” and you can’t be cut off while you keep it.
• During the season, the utility can’t disconnect on a Friday (unless it reaches you in person and offers a payment agreement), a weekend, a holiday, or the day before a holiday.
• If you and the utility can’t agree on a plan, you can appeal to the state Public Utilities Commission, and the utility can’t shut you off while the appeal is pending.

New Jersey: water is covered too, and you can self-certify

New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities runs the Winter Termination Program, from November 15 to March 15. Two things on the state’s own page are not in the federal summary:

• It covers “water, wastewater, gas or electricity” — not just heat.
• A matching Summer Termination Program runs June 15 to August 31 for electric, water and sewer customers in the same groups.

You are protected if you get Lifeline, LIHEAP, TANF, SSI, PAAD, General Assistance or USF, have applied for water assistance, or can’t pay because of circumstances beyond your control — such as unemployment, illness, medical bills or a recent death in the family. That last group may “self-certify” to the utility. You have to call your utility to ask for WTP protection. Questions the utility can’t answer go to NJBPU at (800) 624-0241.

Ohio: $175, no income limit — this year’s order started October 12

Ohio’s winter protection is a reconnect order from the Public Utilities Commission. The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel fact sheet says customers of PUCO-regulated utilities can pay only $175 to keep or restore electric or gas service, even if they owe more. “There are no income restrictions.” If service was already cut, the upfront reconnection fee is capped at $36. Any amount over $175 goes into a payment plan.

Two cautions:

• The dates change every year. The federal summary lists November 1 to April 15. The state fact sheet, re-checked on October 17, 2026, shows this season’s order running October 12, 2026 through April 16, 2027 — so in Ohio, the $175 option is already open. Last season’s ran October 13, 2025 through April 15, 2026. Questions go to PUCO at 1-800-686-7826.
• Making a Winter Crisis Program appointment at your local energy assistance agency makes PUCO-regulated utilities delay disconnection for 30 days after the appointment date, once a year.

If You Are 65 or Older, or Someone Is Sick

Medical certificates. The Clearinghouse counts 44 states with protections for vulnerable people. In many, a signed note from a doctor delays a shutoff. Examples from the summary: 30 days in Ohio, Oklahoma and Utah (Pennsylvania: 30 days, renewable twice), 60 days in Mississippi, up to 63 days in Texas, and up to 6 months in Oregon for a life-threatening condition. Ask the utility for its own form — many require one.

Age. Several states add protection for older customers. In the Clearinghouse summary: New Hampshire needs commission approval to shut off customers 65 or older from November 15 to March 31; North Carolina protects elderly customers in winter; Vermont bars shutoffs for elderly customers below 32°F; Nevada uses a warmer cutoff temperature for elderly or disabled customers; and New York requires extra contact attempts before shutting off someone elderly, blind or disabled.

Tell the utility. None of these protections help if the utility doesn’t know. When you call, say your age, any medical condition, and anyone in the home who is very young, disabled or on medical equipment.

What to Do Before the Shutoff Date

• Read the notice. Find the shutoff date and the amount needed to stop it.
• Call the utility before that date. Ask: “What winter protections do I qualify for, and what payment plan can you offer?”
• Ask for the medical certificate form if anyone in the home is seriously ill.
• Apply for LIHEAP now — and say you have a shutoff notice so the request is treated as a crisis. See LIHEAP income limits by state to check whether you qualify.
• If you’re turned down, you can appeal a LIHEAP denial and still ask for crisis help.
• Look for a nonprofit fuel fund through our guide to nonprofit fuel funds, or call 211.
• If the utility won’t work with you, file a complaint with your state utility commission. The Clearinghouse page lists each commission’s phone number and complaint form.
• Plan for spring. Keep paying something each month so the balance is smaller when protection ends. The Weatherization Assistance Program can lower future bills.

Never pay anyone who calls demanding instant payment by gift card or money app to “stop a shutoff.” Hang up and call the number on your bill.

How We Checked This

Every number and rule above came from an official source we opened and read on October 1, 2026.

• The 50-state table and national counts come from the LIHEAP Clearinghouse “Disconnect Policies” page, run for HHS’s Office of Community Services, marked “Last updated: 07/20/2026” and “LAST UPDATED: April 2026.” We counted the entries ourselves: 28 date windows, 24 cold-day rules, 10 states with both, 42 with either (matching the page’s own “42 States” count, which includes DC), and 9 with none.
• Minnesota comes from the full text of Minn. Stat. 216B.096 on the Revisor of Statutes site.
• New Jersey comes from the Board of Public Utilities’ assistance programs page.
• Ohio comes from the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel fact sheet on the Special Reconnect Order.

Where the official sources differ from each other:

• Ohio’s start date. The federal summary says November 1; the state fact sheet shows the 2026–27 order began October 12, 2026 (re-checked October 17, 2026). Trust your state’s current order.
• New Jersey’s coverage. The federal summary does not mention water and lists no summer date window. The state’s own page covers water and wastewater too, and runs a summer program June 15 to August 31.

What we could not verify: the current official text for the other 48 states and DC. For those, this guide relies on the Clearinghouse summary, which notes that it is based on public information and that rules generally apply only to regulated utilities. We tried to open Wisconsin’s, Illinois’s, Pennsylvania’s, Michigan’s and New York’s official pages; they did not load or blocked our request.

This guide covers state rules for the 2026–27 heating season as summarized in April 2026. All sources cited here were verified on October 1, 2026; the Clearinghouse page and Ohio’s fact sheet were re-checked on October 17, 2026.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice.