New Hampshire’s winter shutoff protections start again on November 15, 2026 and run through March 31, 2027. During that stretch an electric utility is limited in when it can cut off a household, and the state’s Public Utilities Commission has to approve any shutoff of a customer who is 65 or older. The protections are real, but they come with conditions that every household should know.

The state Public Utilities Commission winter disconnection page says that “from November 15 to March 31, an electric utility may not disconnect a customer’s service” in the situations the rules list. The rules apply to residential customers of gas, electric and steam utilities. The page notes the rules were last amended effective September 16, 2011.

Who needs commission approval to be cut off?

Customers 65 or older get the extra step the headline describes. Puc 1204.03(b) says that “during the winter period utilities shall seek commission approval before disconnecting the service of residential customers known to be 65 years or older.” That is an approval requirement on the utility, not an automatic ban, and it covers customers the utility knows to be 65 or older.

That last phrase matters for anyone 65 or older who is behind on an electric bill. The rule on notice says a utility asking the commission for approval must report the customer’s age or an estimate of it, the amount owed, and the dates and amounts of the last six payments and bills. Making sure the utility has an accurate age on file, and answering any call about the account, keeps that protection in play.

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Households in financial hardship get a separate shield. The commission may not approve a disconnection when a customer in hardship has made a good-faith effort to pay the bill. The rules define hardship through enrollment in programs such as the federal heating aid program LIHEAP or the state’s Electric Assistance Program, and the proof has to be renewed every year.

What the winter window does and does not stop

The winter period is a set of limits, not a blanket ban on every shutoff. Under the commission’s rule on protection from disconnection, a utility cannot send a disconnection notice for a primary residence until the unpaid balance passes a threshold. For electric and gas heating customers that figure is $450. For electric customers who do not heat with electricity it is $225, and for gas customers who do not heat with gas it is $125.

The threshold counts unpaid bills from both the winter and non-winter months, so a balance built up over the summer counts toward it. A household that has been catching up quietly since June can still cross the line before November 15 arrives. Households in that position are better off asking the utility about a payment arrangement early.

Another winter rule says no residential customer can be disconnected during the winter period for failing to pay a deposit, or part of one. A household with a small past-due balance, or one that owes only a deposit, is therefore in a different position than one with a large unpaid heating bill.

The rules also require notice before any winter shutoff. Under Puc 1204.05, a utility must reach an adult at the home in person or by phone at least two and no more than eight business days beforehand. If it cannot reach an adult, it must get commission approval first.

Payment plans in winter

Customers who qualify as financial hardship can pay a smaller share of the bill. The commission’s page says they pay monthly amounts equal to 10 percent of the total balance due for the duration of the winter period. A 2018 report in the Valley News described the same 10 percent rule when the protections last made headlines.

Customers who are not in hardship still get an arrangement. They promise to pay the current bill on time, and the overdue amount is spread in equal installments across the winter period and the following six months.

A medical emergency is another path. Under Puc 1204.06(f), service is restored after a licensed provider certifies a medical emergency and a payment arrangement is set up. The page points to a separate rule, Puc 1205, for medical emergency rights, though that text is not on the page.

Where heating help comes from

The winter rules slow a shutoff, but they do not pay the bill. The state’s Fuel Assistance Program gives grants that do not have to be repaid, with benefits ranging from $100 to $2,177 depending on household income and energy costs. The program can also help in a heating emergency by arranging an emergency fuel delivery or delaying a shutoff notice.

Households apply through their local Community Action Agency, and the state says to call 211 to find the right one. The state energy office says the Electric Assistance Program separately gives income-eligible customers a discount on their monthly electric bills.

The practical order is simple. A household that is behind should tell the utility, ask about a winter payment arrangement, confirm whether hardship status applies, and apply for fuel assistance at the same time. All of that is easier before a notice arrives than after.

Behind on a New Hampshire electric bill before November 15?

A shutoff rule only buys time. A customer 65 or older who owes more than $450 and misses a notice can still be disconnected once the commission approves, and the balance keeps growing through March.

The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit turns that time into a plan. It lays out heating, cooling and home-repair help for older homeowners, and it includes an application log and renewal calendar so a household can track each application and the date it has to be renewed. Its section on utilities and home costs covers the help that sits beyond the shutoff rules, and its yearly routine keeps the dates from slipping.

See the heating-help guide and renewal calendar for a New Hampshire winter →

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