Washington electric customers on a low income have a winter protection written into state rules. Between November 15 and March 15, a utility may not disconnect a qualifying customer’s residential space heating service, provided the customer meets a short list of conditions, according to WAC 480-100-143, the Utilities and Transportation Commission’s winter low-income payment program.

A household that is behind and under the state’s energy-assistance income limit has to notify the utility, apply for home energy assistance and pay no more than seven percent of its monthly income toward the bill. The rule says the notice to the utility should come within five business days of receiving a delinquency notice, so the delinquency letter starts the clock.

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Where does Washington set the energy-aid income limit?

The rule does not print a dollar figure. It says a state grantee must determine that household income is not higher than the maximum allowed for eligibility under the state’s low-income energy assistance plan. The customer self-certifies income for the prior twelve months to that grantee, and the grantee confirms the household falls under the limit.

Because the limit comes from the state’s energy-assistance plan, the agency that takes the heating-aid application is also the place to ask what the current number is for a given household size.

What does the seven percent cap mean?

The rule says the utility may not require payment of more than seven percent of the customer’s monthly income. The grantee gives the utility a dollar figure equal to seven percent of household income, which becomes the ceiling for what the utility can demand while the protection is in place.

Payments are still owed. The customer must also pay one-twelfth of any billings from the date the application is made through March 15, and must pay all amounts owed to the utility by the following October 15 to keep the protection from ending.

What else has to be done?

Notifying the utility is only the first step. The rule lists these customer duties:

• Apply for home energy assistance from appropriate government or private organizations, and certify that any assistance received goes toward current and future utility bills.
• Apply for low-income weatherization assistance where it is available for the dwelling.
• Report any home heating assistance received after approval, with documentation if the utility asks, so the payment can be recalculated.
• Pay all amounts owed even if the customer moves.

How does the sequence work in practice?

The order of steps starts with the delinquency notice. A customer who gets one calls the utility, self-certifies income to the state grantee, applies for energy assistance and weatherization, and then pays the amount the grantee calculates. The rule has been in effect since June 3, 2001, when the commission’s order took effect, so utilities in Washington are used to handling these requests.

What does the utility have to do?

The rule puts duties on the company as well. The utility must help the customer fulfill the requirements, must transfer the account to a new residence if the customer moves within its service area, and must give the customer a written copy of the extended payment plan. Disconnection notices must describe the customer’s duties and explain that service has to be restored once the customer contacts the utility and meets the requirements.

A customer who misses the five-business-day notice is not shut out, either. Those customers may still receive protection by paying any reconnection charges and meeting the other requirements. A customer who defaults may be reconnected by paying reconnection charges and the amounts due on the reconnection date.

The cost of a slip is real, because a customer who has a past-due amount owing under the payment plan is not eligible to reapply for a new plan unless the utility authorizes it. For a household on a fixed income, the winter protection is only as good as the October 15 payoff that follows it.

Facing a Washington shutoff notice before November 15?

A household that misses a step, whether the notice, the energy-aid application or the October 15 payoff, can lose the protection and cannot count on starting over. The dates and paperwork stack up quickly in a cold-weather month.

The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit gathers heating, cooling and home-repair help for older homeowners, and its application log and renewal calendar keep each program’s dates in one place. Part 5 covers utilities and home costs, and Part 8 holds the worksheets and contacts.

Get the shutoff-notice date log in The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit →

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