Ohio’s winter reconnect order is back for another heating season, and last year’s numbers show how many households leaned on it. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio says more than 227,637 Ohioans used the Special Reconnect Order last winter, and the agency has renewed it for Oct. 12, 2026 through April 16, 2027.
Under the order, a customer of a PUCO-regulated electric or natural gas utility can restore service, keep it on or start new service by paying no more than $175 plus any applicable reconnection charge, according to the PUCO’s Sept. 30 announcement. There is no income eligibility requirement, so a household does not have to prove it is low income to use it.
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Who can use the $175 order?
The order covers residential customers of PUCO-regulated electric and natural gas utilities. The commission’s website lists which utilities are regulated, which is the first thing to check for a household whose bill comes from a smaller local provider. Each customer can use the order once per winter heating season.
PUCO Chair Jenifer French said, “For more than three decades, the PUCO has issued its Special Reconnect Order,” and called it “one of the ways the PUCO is able to help families remain connected” to heat.
How much does it cost?
The customer pays the utility up to $175, plus any applicable reconnection charge. That reconnection charge cannot exceed $36, and the PUCO says any amount above $36 may be added to the customer’s next monthly bill rather than collected up front.
The order also works for new service. A customer starting electric or natural gas service can pay up to $175 in place of the full security deposit, and any deposit balance above $175 may be added to the next monthly bill.
What happens to the rest of the bill?
The $175 is not the end of the account. The commission says utility representatives will explain the order and set up a payment plan for any balance left after the $175 is applied. A household that uses the order is therefore paying a smaller amount now and agreeing to a schedule for the remainder.
Help with the $175 itself may be available. Customers who are at or below 175 percent of the federal income guidelines can apply for help from the Home Energy Assistance Program’s winter crisis program to cover it. The PUCO bulletin gives no HEAP phone number, and points to its website’s energy assistance page.
For a household with a shutoff notice in hand, the practical effect is a cap on what has to be paid at once: $175 and a reconnection charge of no more than $36, instead of the full past-due balance.
Where can households find more help?
The PUCO says it has issued the Special Reconnect Order for more than three decades, and its website carries a list of PUCO-regulated utilities, information on energy assistance programs and ways to save on heating bills. A household unsure whether its provider is regulated by the commission can start there, or call the PUCO Call Center before contacting the utility.
How do customers start?
The step is a call to the utility between Oct. 12, 2026 and April 16, 2027. The PUCO Call Center answers questions at (800) 686-PUCO (7826). A customer who has already used the order this winter heating season cannot use it again, so the timing of the first call matters for a household that may face more than one shutoff before spring.
The last day to use the order is April 16, 2027, according to the PUCO. For a household that is current on its bills, the order is worth knowing about before the cold sets in, since the commission says it covers keeping service on as well as restoring it.
Does Ohio’s $175 order fit a household’s winter?
The Special Reconnect Order works once per heating season, so a household that uses it in November has no second chance in February. A balance left after the $175 turns into a payment plan that has to be tracked.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit collects heating, cooling and home-repair help for older homeowners, and its application log and renewal calendar keep payment dates and program contacts in one place. Part 5 covers utilities and home costs.
Get the utility-help checklist 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.
