Four states have winter rules that decide whether a household behind on its gas or electric bill keeps the heat on, and they do not start on the same day. In Michigan and Maryland the protections begin November 1, and Indiana’s begin December 1. Kentucky works differently: once winter starts, a certified household can get service turned back on by paying $200 or less.

Michigan: November 1 through March 31

Michigan’s winter protections are set in state law, MCL 460.9r, which defines the heating season as November 1 through March 31. During those months a utility may not shut off service for nonpayment of a delinquent account to an eligible customer. Two groups are eligible: customers 65 or older who advise the utility of their eligibility, and households whose income does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level.

The statute sets the payment under a winter protection plan at 7 percent of the estimated annual bill each month. That is a fixed share of the year’s estimate, not a share of the balance owed, so the same monthly amount applies whether the arrears are large or small.

The practical point for older customers is the phrase “advises the utility.” The law protects a customer who is 65 or older once the utility knows, which means a household that is behind should call the company before the first notice turns into a shutoff date.

Shutoff protections in four states begin on three different dates, and Indiana’s covers only households that have applied for energy assistance. The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit lays out heating, cooling and home-repair help and an application log and renewal calendar, so each application and date is written down in one place.

Track heating-help applications with the Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit →

Maryland: November 1 through March 31, with an exception

The Maryland Public Service Commission says that between November 1 and March 31 a gas or electric utility may not terminate service unless it first certifies to the commission, by an affidavit filed at least 24 hours before the termination, that the shutoff does not threaten the life or health of the people living there. So the winter window is not an absolute ban. It is a rule that requires paperwork and gives a household a day’s warning before a utility can proceed.

A separate cold-weather rule applies on top of that. The commission says a utility may not terminate service for nonpayment if the forecast temperature at 6 a.m. is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

Indiana: December 1 through March 15, for applicants

Indiana’s protection is shorter and narrower. The state’s Office of Utility Consumer Counselor says gas and electric utilities may not disconnect between December 1 and March 15 a customer who qualifies for and has applied to the state’s Energy Assistance Program. The protection applies whether or not the benefits are actually received. The protection depends on the application, so a household that never applies is not covered.

The office also says the protection does not erase the bill: customers remain responsible for the charges. It lists a separate medical postponement as well, a 10-day delay when there is a serious and immediate threat to health or safety.

Kentucky: reconnection for $200 or less

Kentucky’s rule, in the state’s utility regulation 807 KAR 5:006, deals with reconnecting households that have already lost service rather than barring the shutoff. A customer who applies for reconnection from November 1 through March 31 and brings a certificate of need from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, or its designee, pays one-third of the outstanding bill or $200, whichever is less. The rest goes on a repayment plan, which the rule says should be paid as soon as possible “but no later than October 15.”

The regulation also says a utility shall not require a new deposit from a customer whose service is reconnected this way.

Lining up winter help before the cold starts

The first step in each state is different. In Michigan, it is telling the utility that someone in the home is 65 or older, or that income is within 150 percent of the poverty level. In Maryland, it is knowing that the affidavit requirement gives a day’s notice and that a forecast of 32 degrees or below stops a nonpayment shutoff. In Indiana, it is applying for the Energy Assistance Program, since the protection depends on having applied. In Kentucky, it is getting the certificate of need from the state Cabinet.

The free sources are the ones linked above: the Michigan statute, the Maryland Public Service Commission page, the Indiana consumer counselor’s page and the Kentucky regulation. A utility’s own customer service line can say which plan a household is on and what payment is due.

Anyone behind on a bill can gather the last three statements, the shutoff notice if one has arrived, proof of age or income, and the utility account number before calling. A written note of each call, with the date and the name of the person who answered, helps if a dispute comes up later.

Indiana’s December 1 protection depends on an application

Indiana’s protection covers only customers who have applied to the Energy Assistance Program, and Kentucky’s $200 reconnection starts with a certificate of need, so a skipped step can leave the bill running with no protection. The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit puts heating, cooling and home-repair help beside an application log and renewal calendar, so each application, date and callback is recorded. It is a 64-page kit.

Get the heating-help guide and application log in the Senior Home-Cost Relief Kit →

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.