Maryland Electric Shut-Off Laws: Notice, Moratoriums, and Appeals

Maryland electric shut-off laws require your utility to send a written termination notice at least 14 days before it can disconnect residential service for nonpayment, and they layer on further protections during winter, for households with serious medical conditions, and for low-income customers. A shut-off is rarely the utility’s first move, and several routes exist to delay or reverse it once notice arrives.

The 14-Day Termination Notice

The utility must mail a written termination notice by first-class mail to the account holder at least 14 days before the earliest date service can be cut.¹ If you designated a third party to receive copies of termination notices, they get a copy too.²

The notice must state:

The total amount you owe
The earliest date service can be terminated
A summary of the dispute process, including how to reach the Public Service Commission’s Consumer Affairs Division
Information about payment plans
Information about energy assistance programs such as OHEP
How to obtain a medical certification if someone in the household has a serious illness or uses life-support equipment²

A shorter 7-day notice applies in narrower situations: if you gave false or misleading information on your application, left out important facts when applying, or owe a balance from a co-occupant.¹

When a Shut-Off Is Actually Allowed

Passing the notice date does not by itself put your service in immediate danger. The utility has to be prepared to accept payment and reconnect service both on the day it disconnects and the following day.² Days when the utility’s payment and reconnection offices are closed, including holidays, are effectively off-limits.

Saturday shut-offs are generally not allowed. The one exception: an inside meter that the utility has already tried to access on at least two separate weekdays without success.²

The utility must also attempt personal contact before it disconnects. In the warmer months, that means at least two attempts between the mailing of the notice and the termination date. Contact can be a phone call during business hours, a call after 6 p.m., or a visit. If no one is home during a visit, the utility must leave a copy of the termination notice and a Customer Rights and Assistance pamphlet.³

Cold Weather Protections

From November 1 through March 31, a utility cannot cut residential service for nonpayment without first filing an affidavit with the Public Service Commission at least 24 hours ahead of the shut-off, certifying that termination will not threaten anyone’s life or health in the home.⁴ The affidavit has to note whether any occupant claims to be an older adult, a person with a disability, seriously ill, or dependent on life-support equipment.⁵

A separate temperature rule runs alongside the winter window. If the forecast temperature at 6 a.m. is 32°F or below in your utility’s designated weather station area, service cannot be shut off that day.⁴ The utility checks the forecast each day and adjusts its schedule accordingly.⁵

These rules do not erase the debt. The balance keeps sitting there, and once winter protections lift, an unpaid account is fair game again. The months between November and March are the time to line up assistance or a payment plan so April does not open with an immediate shut-off.

Medical Certification

A pending disconnection can be held off for up to 30 days if someone in your household has a serious illness or relies on life-support equipment. You need a written certification from a licensed physician, certified nurse practitioner, or physician assistant.⁶

During those 30 days, you must enter into a payment agreement with the utility covering the unpaid balance and current charges. The certification can be renewed with an updated certificate if you need more time, but renewal does not remove the payment agreement requirement.⁶ Treat the 30 days as breathing room to arrange payment or assistance, not as a permanent shield. If nothing changes in that window, the utility can proceed once it ends.

Payment Plans

Calling the utility before the notice expires is the single most effective step. Utilities are more willing to negotiate before a shut-off than after.

For low-income customers, the utility must make a good-faith effort to negotiate a reasonable payment plan. For other customers, the utility may negotiate a plan but is not required to.⁷ Either way, when weighing an arrangement, the utility must consider:

The amount owed
Your ability to pay
Your payment history
Whether you have applied for energy assistance
How long the bill has been unpaid
The hardship you would face without service

If the utility refuses to negotiate a reasonable plan, you can file a complaint with the Public Service Commission.⁷

Energy Assistance Programs

Maryland’s Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) runs several programs that can pay down an overdue electric bill or reduce ongoing costs. Eligibility is based on household size and income, capped at 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. For the FY2026 program year, a single person qualifies at $31,300, a household of two at $42,300, and a household of four at $64,300.⁸

Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP): a grant applied to the heating bill, paid directly to the fuel supplier or utility.⁹
Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP): a separate electric assistance grant available once per program year (July through June). Budget billing enrollment is optional.⁹
Arrearage Retirement Assistance: for past-due electric or gas balances of $300 or more, a grant of up to $2,000. Available once every five years, with some exceptions for grants received between January 2020 and December 2021.⁹

If you have already applied for OHEP assistance and are waiting on a decision, tell your utility. Customers with a pending application can generally request that disconnection be held until the application is processed.¹⁰

Some utilities also run their own relief programs. The BGE Customer Relief Fund, administered through the United Way of Central Maryland, offers additional help for BGE customers. The Fuel Fund of Maryland provides emergency grants for households that do not qualify for state programs or need more help than those programs cover. Maryland’s 211 helpline can connect you with local agencies administering these and other emergency funds.

Filing a Complaint With the PSC

If you believe the bill is wrong or the disconnection was improper, Maryland regulations require you to try to resolve it with the utility first.¹¹ If that goes nowhere, you can take the matter to the Maryland Public Service Commission’s Consumer Affairs Division:¹²

Online through the PSC’s complaint portal
By phone at 410-767-8000 or 1-800-492-0474. If you have a shut-off notice or are already without service, say so at the start of the call so the complaint can be taken by phone
By mail using a paper form from Consumer Affairs Division, 6 St. Paul Street, 15th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202
By fax to 410-333-6844

The division investigates and issues a written determination that explains your right to appeal. The utility has the same appeal right if the decision goes against it.¹³

Getting Service Restored

After a disconnection, service comes back on once you pay the outstanding balance or set up an approved payment plan. Because the utility must be prepared to reconnect on the day of the shut-off and the following day, same-day restoration is possible if you pay promptly.² Payments made later in the day or after business hours generally push reconnection to the next business day.

Expect a reconnection fee. Fees vary by utility and are regulated by the PSC; standard reconnection typically runs $30 to $75, with expedited or after-hours service costing more where available.

The utility may also require a security deposit before restoring service. Maryland limits deposits to no more than the estimated charges for two consecutive billing periods or 90 days, whichever is less, with a minimum of $5.¹⁴ The deposit is held as security and is returned or credited to your account once you establish a satisfactory payment history.

If Your Landlord Cuts the Power

A shut-off by your landlord is governed by a different rule set than a shut-off by the utility. Under Maryland Real Property Code Section 8-216, a landlord cannot cut off heat, running water, hot water, electricity, or gas to force you out or punish you for late rent. A landlord may lawfully interrupt utilities only if the account is in the landlord’s name, the landlord has a final court order granting possession, and the landlord gave you reasonable notice and a chance to open your own account.

If a landlord shuts off utilities illegally, you can withhold rent (with the risk of an eviction filing, in which the illegal shut-off is your defense) or pay rent into an escrow account created by the local District Court. Baltimore City treats illegal utility interruption as a criminal offense punishable by fines up to $500 or up to 10 days of imprisonment per violation. Baltimore County treats it as a misdemeanor with fines up to $100.

In master-metered buildings where the landlord is billed for the whole property, tenants can often arrange to take over the account or make direct payments to the utility if the landlord stops paying, then deduct those costs from rent. Contact the utility and the Office of People’s Counsel if you find yourself in that position.

1
Maryland Office of People’s Counsel. Utility Service Terminations
2
Cornell University Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 20.31.02.05 – Termination Procedures
3
Maryland Office of People’s Counsel. Revisions to COMAR 20.31 – Proposed Updated Regulations
4
Cornell University Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 20.31.03.03 – Winter Restrictions
5
Maryland Office of People’s Counsel. Weather Restrictions
6
Cornell University Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 20.31.03.01 – Restrictions for Serious Illness and Life-Support Equipment
7
Maryland Office of People’s Counsel. Payment Plans
8
Maryland Department of Human Services. Income Guidelines FY2026
9
Maryland Department of Human Services. Energy Assistance
10
Maryland Public Service Commission. Need Help with Paying Your Bill or Have a Termination Notice
11
Cornell University Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 20.31.01.03 – Customer Responsibilities
12
Maryland Office of People’s Counsel. How to File a Complaint
13
Maryland Public Service Commission. Commission’s Dispute Process and Your Rights
14
Cornell University Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 20.30.01.04 – Deposit