Can Your Electric Be Shut Off in Winter in NY?

Your electric service can be shut off in winter in NY, but between November 1 and April 15 the utility has to work through a demanding set of cold-weather procedures before it can cut power to any heat-related service, and those procedures stop many disconnections before they happen. “Heat-related” covers more than electric heat; it includes electricity that runs the blower, thermostat, or ignition on a gas or oil furnace, so almost every household is covered during the protection period.¹

What the Utility Must Do Before a Winter Disconnection

During the cold-weather period, a utility cannot send a final bill and cut power. It must try to reach you or another adult in your home by phone or in person at least 72 hours before the scheduled shut-off, and again on the day of termination. The point of that contact is to find out whether anyone in the household would face a serious health or safety risk from losing heat.²

If the utility learns that harm might result, it has to refer your household to the local Department of Social Services. DSS then gets up to 15 business days to investigate, and the utility cannot disconnect you while that review is open. Only after DSS reports back that no serious risk exists, or that a safety plan is in place, can the utility move forward with the shut-off.²

The Baseline Timing Rules

Even outside of winter, a shut-off cannot begin until a bill is at least 20 days past due. At that point the utility may issue a Final Termination Notice, which has to state the reason, the total owed, and a summary of your rights under HEFPA.³

After the notice goes out, more waiting time applies. A hand-delivered notice requires a 15 calendar day wait; a mailed notice requires 18. On the day the shut-off is scheduled, the utility also has to confirm that no payment has posted to your account.³

Disconnections can only happen Monday through Thursday, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. If the scheduled day or the next day is a public holiday, or if the utility’s main office or the Public Service Commission is closed, the shut-off has to be postponed.³

Medical Protections That Stop a Shut-Off

If anyone in your household has a medical condition that would be made worse by losing electricity, you can block a shut-off year-round. A doctor or the local Board of Health must notify the utility that a medical emergency exists. The initial notice can be by phone, but written certification with the doctor’s identification has to follow within five business days.¹

Once that certification is in place, the utility must keep service on for 30 days. You can renew the protection for another 30 days if the doctor explains why losing service would continue to aggravate the condition and gives the expected duration, and you show you cannot pay. Chronic conditions can qualify for longer periods.¹

Life-Support Equipment

Where electricity powers life-support equipment, the doctor’s certificate stays in effect indefinitely unless the Public Service Commission terminates it. In exchange, every three months you have to show the utility why you remain unable to pay, and you are still expected to make a reasonable effort toward your charges while PSC staff help you work out payment arrangements.¹

Protections for Elderly, Blind, and Disabled Households

HEFPA adds year-round safeguards for households where every adult is 62 or older, blind, or disabled. Before terminating service, the utility must make a diligent effort to reach you personally: at minimum, one phone call during business hours, two calls during evening or weekend hours if the first fails, and an in-person visit if phone contact doesn’t work or there is no phone on file.⁴

These protections only apply if the utility knows about your status. When you sign up for service and once a year afterward, the utility is required to send a brochure that includes a form for reporting whether anyone in the household qualifies. Returning that form is the single most important step. If you have not done it, call your utility and ask to update your account.⁵

Designating a Third Party

You can name a relative, friend, or advocate to receive copies of all termination and credit-related notices, as long as that person agrees in writing. A third party can contact the utility on your behalf and help negotiate payment terms, but is not obligated to pay your bills. This is especially useful for older adults or anyone who may struggle to read and act on utility notices alone.¹

Deferred Payment Agreements

Before the utility can shut you off for unpaid bills, it has to offer a deferred payment agreement, or DPA. A DPA lets you pay down the overdue balance in installments while keeping current on new monthly charges. The utility is required to negotiate in good faith and tailor the agreement to what you can actually afford based on your income, assets, and expenses.⁶

If you show financial need, monthly installments can be as low as $10 with no down payment.⁶ For customers who can afford more, a standard DPA may require a down payment of up to 20 percent of what is owed or one month’s average usage, whichever is greater. State law caps any required down payment at the lesser of half the total arrears or three months of average billing.⁷

If You Fall Behind on a DPA

Missing payments does not trigger an immediate shut-off, but it does restart the termination process. The utility must send a notice at least eight days before beginning proceedings, warning that your agreement is in jeopardy and giving you a chance to catch up. If your circumstances have changed for reasons beyond your control, you can ask to renegotiate the terms.¹

You may also be entitled to a second agreement. If the payments on your broken DPA were higher than the greater of half a month’s average usage or 10 percent of the remaining balance, the utility must offer a new agreement at those lower payment levels. The new agreement is sent along with any final termination notice.¹

HEAP Grants to Keep Power On

New York’s Home Energy Assistance Program pays grants toward heating costs. HEAP is not a loan; you do not repay it. You can apply online, by mail, or in person at your local Department of Social Services office. Eligibility is based on household income, set at 60 percent of the state median. For the 2025–2026 season, monthly income limits are:

1 person: $3,473
2 people: $4,542
3 people: $5,611
4 people: $6,680
5 people: $7,749
6 people: $8,818

For households larger than six, add roughly $200 per additional member.⁸

Emergency HEAP

If your heat-related electricity has already been shut off or is scheduled for disconnection, you may qualify for an emergency HEAP benefit. You are also eligible if you have run out of fuel or have less than a quarter tank of oil, kerosene, or propane. Emergency benefit amounts for 2025–2026:

Electric service needed for heating equipment: $185
Natural gas heat only: $400
Gas heat combined with electric for heating equipment: $585
Electric heat combined with electric for heating equipment: $585
Delivered fuel (oil, kerosene, propane): $900
Wood, pellets, coal, or corn: $635

Homeowners 60 or older can also apply for the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit, which covers up to $4,000 for furnace or boiler repair and up to $8,000 for a full replacement.⁸

If Your Shut-Off Is Imminent

When a final disconnection notice says service will be cut within 48 to 72 hours, do not use the online complaint form. Call the Department of Public Service Emergency Hotline at 800-342-3355, available weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Staff can step in directly and may halt or delay the shut-off while your situation is reviewed.⁹

Getting Power Restored After a Shut-Off

If your service has already been cut for nonpayment, the utility must reconnect you within 24 hours once you meet one of two conditions: pay the full arrears, or sign a deferred payment agreement and make the required down payment. You will also owe a reconnection charge and any additional fees or tariff charges that accrued after the termination notice.¹⁰

Your local Department of Social Services can also get your power back on. If DSS agrees to make a direct payment to the utility or provides a written payment guarantee, the utility must reconnect within 24 hours of receiving that commitment.

If you and the utility cannot agree on reconnection terms, file a complaint with the Public Service Commission. The PSC can direct the utility to restore power while it investigates, as long as you pay the undisputed portion of the bill or enter a payment agreement for that amount.¹⁰

1
Department of Public Service. Your Rights as a Residential Gas, Electric or Steam Customer under HEFPA
2
New York State Public Service Commission. PSC Regulations Home Energy Fair Practices Act – Section 11.5 Residential Service Special Procedures
3
Cornell Law School. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 16 14.4 – Termination of Residential Service
4
New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 16 14.5 – Termination of Residential Service Special Procedures
5
Cornell Law School. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 16 14.16 – Notice Requirements
6
Cornell Law School. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 16 14.10 – Deferred Payment Agreements
7
New York State Senate. New York Public Service Law 37 – Deferred Payment Agreements
8
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
9
Department of Public Service. File a Complaint
10
Cornell Law School. New York Comp Codes R and Regs Tit 16 13.4 – Reconnection of Service