Minnesota utilities cannot cut off heat from Oct. 1 through April 30 for customers who agree to a payment plan and keep up with it. Households at or below 50% of the state median income cannot be asked to pay more than 10% of their income toward current and past-due heating bills. The Cold Weather Rule is already in force for this winter.

The protection does not switch on by itself. A customer who has fallen behind has to call the gas or electric company and ask for a payment plan. A customer who never makes that call can still receive a disconnection notice, even in January.

Who the Cold Weather Rule covers

The rule applies to residential customers of Minnesota utilities, according to the state’s Cold Weather Rule statute. The Public Utilities Commission, which oversees it, says residential natural gas and electric customers who are behind on bills are protected from shutoff once they contact the utility, set up a payment plan and keep to it. University of Minnesota Extension adds that renters who pay their own utility bills can use the rule too.

Anyone behind on a heating bill this month has one job: call the utility, mention the Cold Weather Rule and ask for a payment plan. Households with income at or below 50% of the state median should say so, because that is what brings in the 10% cap. Customers above that line still have a right to a payment plan that takes their circumstances into account, the statute says.

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How the 10% cap works

The cap sits in the payment-agreement section of the statute. A utility may not require a household at or below 50% of state median income to pay more than ten percent of household income toward its current and past heating bills. As an example, a household bringing in $2,000 a month could be asked for no more than $200 a month toward what it owes and what it is using.

The cap is a ceiling, not a target. A customer can agree to pay more to clear a debt faster, and the statute lets a customer ask to change the plan if finances shift or a payment cannot be made. Once a utility accepts a payment agreement, it has to use reasonable efforts to restore service within 24 hours.

Proving income can be simpler than many people expect. The statute treats customers who receive certain kinds of energy assistance as eligible for the lower-income protection with no other income verification. Anyone who already gets that help should tell the utility so.

What counts as paying on time

The statute defines a reasonably timely payment as one made within five working days of the agreed due date. Pay later than that and the shutoff protection can be lost. A customer who sees a missed payment coming should call the utility before the due date and ask for a new plan, as Extension advises.

Utilities also have to follow notice rules before cutting heat during the cold weather period. The notice must be approved by the Commission and delivered in person or by first-class mail, and it must give the disconnection date, the amount due and a summary of the customer’s rights. A shutoff cannot happen until 10 working days after the notice is mailed to an occupied home, or 7 working days after it is handed over in person.

If the customer and the utility cannot agree on a plan, the customer can appeal to the Public Utilities Commission within 7 working days of personal service or 10 working days of mailing. The statute calls for a decision within 20 working days, and Extension says the heat stays on during the appeal. The commission’s consumer line is 651-296-0406 or 800-657-3782, open Monday through Friday.

What the rule leaves out

The rule covers utility service only. The commission says delivered fuels such as fuel oil, propane and wood fall outside it, although state law requires propane distributors to offer budget payment plans. Households that heat with propane or oil should call their supplier directly and ask about those plans.

A payment plan is not a cancelled bill. Under the statute the agreement ends when the cold weather period ends on April 30, unless the utility and the customer agree to a longer one. A household that gets through the winter on a plan still has a balance to settle before spring.

Outside help can shrink that balance. The Minnesota Department of Commerce runs the Energy Assistance Program, which helps income-eligible households pay energy bills and repair or replace heating equipment, with applications taken through local service providers. The commission also points to the Weatherization Assistance Program for longer-term fixes and says many utilities run their own bill assistance and budget billing.

Commissioner Audrey Partridge said in the commission’s notice at the start of last winter’s season that “no one should have to choose between keeping the heat on and other basic needs.” She urged customers to reach out early, because the protections and programs work best before an account is far behind. Extension’s Cold Weather Rule guide gives the same steps in plain terms.

Behind on the heating bill before April 30?

A missed call or a payment that lands a week late can put a gas or electric account back in line for a disconnection notice, and the payment plan itself runs out when the cold weather period does.

The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit is a 64-page guide for older homeowners. It covers heating, cooling and home-repair help, with a section on utilities and home costs, and it comes with an application log and renewal calendar so each program’s dates stay in one place.

Get the Cold Weather Rule application log and renewal calendar in the home-cost relief kit →

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