Seasonal Termination Protection Regulations
Note: These policies may not apply to all utilities in a given state. In general, municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives are not regulated and the policies do not apply to them. For more details and consumer referrals, see state disconnect narratives.
| State | Date-based | Protection Dates | Temperature-based | Temperature | Seasonal Policy |
| Alabama | no |
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yes | <32° F | |
| Alaska | no | no | No disconnect for seriously ill, disabled. | ||
| Arizona | no | yes | <32° F | ||
| Arkansas | yes | 11/1-3/31 12/1-3/31 |
yes | <32° F or >95° F | No disconnect for elderly or disabled or medical emergency. |
| California | no | no | |||
| Colorado | no | no | |||
| Connecticut | yes | 11/1 - 5/1 | no |
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No disconnect for hardship customers. |
| Delaware | yes | 11/15 - 4/15 | yes | 20° F or below | |
| District of Columbia | no | yes | <32° F | ||
| Florida | no | no | |||
| Georgia | yes | 11/15 - 3/15 and summer months | yes | <32° F or Nat. Weather Service Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning in effect | No disconnect if illness would be aggravated. |
| Hawaii | no | no | |||
| Idaho | yes | 12/1 - 2/28 | no |
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Disconnect ban for households with children under 18, elderly age 62 or older, or infirm. |
| Illinois | yes | 12/1
- 3/31 and summer months |
yes | <32° F; >=95° F | |
| Indiana | yes | 12/1 - 3/15 | no |
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Prohibits disconnect if customer qualifies for public assistance. |
| Iowa | yes | 11/1 - 4/1 | yes | <20° F | |
| Kansas | yes | 11/1 - 3/31 | yes | <35° F | |
| Kentucky | no | no |
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| Louisiana | no | no | |||
| Maine | yes | 11/15 - 4/15 | no |
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Must agree to special payment arrangement |
| Maryland | yes | 11/1 - 3/31 | no | <32° F or below or if the temperature exceeds 95 degrees for 24 of the next 72 hours
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| Massachusetts | yes | 11/15-3/15 (electric and gas) DPU asked regulated utilities to extend protection to April 1 |
no |
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Disconnect not permitted if household includes child <12 months, seriously ill member or all residents are 65 or older. If the elderly household is low-income and includes a minor, the protection against termination will apply. |
| Michigan | yes | 11/1 - 3/31 | no | Winter Protection Plan for elderly 65 years or older, recipients of Medicaid, Food Stamps or state emergency relief, full- time active military personnel or persons needing critical care or having a certified medical emergency. Households with income less than 150% of federal poverty guidelines must be enrolled in a payment plan. | |
| Minnesota | yes | 10/15 - 4/15 | Disconnect ban for residential electricity service when an excessive heat watch, heat advisory, or excessive heat warning has been issued by the National Weather Service |
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| Mississippi | yes | 12/1 - 3/31 | no |
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| Missouri | yes | 11/1 - 3/31 | yes | <32° F | |
| Montana | yes | 11/1 - 4/1 | yes | No disconnect when the temperature at 8 a.m. is below 32° F or if freezing temperatures are forcast for the next 24 hours for customers receiving public assistance or if household member is age 62 or older or disabled. | |
| Nebraska | yes | 11/1 - 3/31 | no | No disconnect for low-income natural gas customers with proof of eligibility for energy assistance. | |
| Nevada | no | no | |||
| New Hampshire | yes | 11/15 - 3/31 | no |
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| New Jersey | yes | 11/15 - 3/15 | yes (summer) | 95o or above |
Disconnect ban for customers receiving Lifeline, LIHEAP, TANF, SSI, PAAD or GA or households unable to pay overdue amounts due to unemployment, medical expenses, or recent death of spouse. If eligible for Winter Termination Program, can't disconnect if 90o F or above for following 48 hours. |
| New Mexico | yes | 11/15 - 3/15 | no |
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Must be current with payments or have entered into a payment agreement and are current with that aggreement by Nov. 15 |
| New York | yes | 2-week period encompassing Christmas and New Years | no | ||
| North Carolina | yes | 11/1 - 3/31 | no |
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No disconnect for elderly, disabled, and customers who are eligible for the Energy Crisis Assistance Program. |
| North Dakota | no | no | |||
| Ohio | yes | 10/15 - 4/15 | no |
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Medical certification program. |
| Oklahoma | yes | 11/15 - 4/15 | yes | <32° F (daytime), <20° F (night) or >103° F |
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| Oregon | no | no | |||
| Pennsylvania | yes | 12/1 - 3/31 | no |
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| Rhode Island | yes | 11/1 - 4/30 | yes | No termination if National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or excessive heat warning. |
Disconnect ban for elderly, disabled, seriously ill, households with child under 2 years old, or recipients of unemployment compensation, federal heating assistance or have income 75% or less of state median income. |
| South Carolina | no | yes December 1-March 31 |
Disconnection is suspended when the average forecasted temperature is 32° F or below for a 45-hour period.
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| South Dakota | yes | 11/1 - 3/31 | no | ||
| Tennessee | no |
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yes | <32° F | |
| Texas | no | yes | <32° F or during heat advisory | No disconnect for elderly 65 years or older and critical care customers until Oct. 1. | |
| Utah | yes | 11/15 - 3/15 | no |
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| Vermont | yes | 11/1 - 3/31 | no | <10° F or <32° F for households with elderly age 62 or older. | |
| Virginia | no |
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no | Termination delayed up to 60 days in a 12-month period with a Serious Medical Condition Certification provided by a physician. | |
| Washington | yes | 11/15 - 3/15 | no | ||
| West Virginia | yes | 12/1 - 2/28 | no |
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| Wisconsin | yes | 11/1 - 4/15 | yes |
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Prohibited when heat advisory from the National Weather Service is in effect. |
| Wyoming | yes | 11/1 - 4/30 | yes | Disconnection only if above 32° F |