Massachusetts gas and electric utilities will begin offering tiered discount rates to income-eligible customers on November 1, 2026. The state Department of Public Utilities, known as the DPU, says so on its winter bills page, and the same page says the department has asked to lengthen the winter ban on heating shutoffs. The discount is…

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…

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.…

Georgia electric customers who have fallen behind on their bills get a cold-weather shield starting November 15. Between that date and March 15, a utility may not shut off residential electric service on a day when the forecast is below freezing, as long as the customer has agreed in writing to a payment plan, the…

North Carolina is opening its winter heating aid to older residents first. The state’s Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, known as LIEAP, takes applications from households with someone 60 or older during December, a full month before every other household can sign up, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. For a household with…