Can't pay your electric or gas bill? What happens, and what to do

1. What actually happens when you miss a utility bill

For a regulated electric or gas utility, the typical sequence is:

1. Due date passes. Often a late fee or a small percentage charge is added.
2. Past-due notice. The next bill shows the old balance plus the new one.
3. Disconnect notice. A separate written warning with a date after which service can be cut. Most states require the utility to give written notice before disconnecting, and many require a phone call or a visit attempt too. The amount of notice varies by state — days to a few weeks.
4. Shutoff. After that date, service can be disconnected, usually on a business day.
5. Reconnection. Typically requires paying the balance (or an agreed part of it), a reconnect fee, and sometimes a new deposit.

Two things follow. First, the disconnect-notice date is the one that matters, not the original due date — that is why the ranking tool asks for a shutoff date separately. Second, avoiding the shutoff is almost always cheaper than reversing it: reconnect fees and deposits can cost more than the past-due amount.

Unregulated providers — some municipal utilities, co-ops, propane and heating-oil dealers, and many water and trash services — follow their own rules, which can be faster. Read your notice.

2. Protections that may apply to you

These exist in many states, not all, and the details differ. Every one of them requires you to ask; none happens automatically.

• Seasonal shutoff limits. Many states restrict disconnections during winter months (and some during extreme heat). Often you still have to enter a payment plan to qualify.
• Medical protection. If someone in the household has a serious illness or depends on electrically powered medical equipment, a doctor's certification can delay disconnection, usually for a set number of days and renewable. Ask for the utility's "medical certificate" form.
• Payment arrangements. Many state utility commissions require utilities to offer a plan to spread a past-due balance over several months. A reasonable plan is often a right, not a favor.
• Protections for vulnerable households. Some states have extra notice or delay rules for households with infants, elderly members, or people with disabilities.
• Budget billing. Averaging your yearly cost into equal monthly payments can stop the winter spike that causes the problem in the first place.

If the utility refuses a plan or a protection you believe you qualify for, your state's public utility commission (or public service commission) takes complaints, and calling them often gets a different answer from the utility.

3. What to say when you call

Call the number on the bill before the disconnect date. Have the account number, the amount, and your real spendable number in front of you.

Then, depending on your situation:

Write down the date, the name of the person you spoke to, and the arrangement terms. Ask for a confirmation number or an email. If they say no, ask for a supervisor, then ask for the commission's complaint number.

4. Where the money can come from

• LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) — a federal program run by each state that helps with heating and cooling bills, and in many states with crisis situations like a pending shutoff. Apply through your state or local community action agency; dialing 211 will route you.
• Utility hardship funds. Many utilities run their own assistance funds (often paid for by customer donations). Ask.
• Local emergency assistance. Community action agencies, churches, the Salvation Army, and county programs often have small one-time grants aimed exactly at preventing shutoffs. 211 knows which ones are taking applications.
• Weatherization. Free home-efficiency improvements for qualifying households lower future bills.

Many programs will only help before the shutoff or require a disconnect notice to qualify, so apply as soon as you have the notice.

5. About partial payments

Sending part of the balance without an agreement does not reliably stop a disconnection. Some utilities will proceed for the remainder. Make the call first, get a number and a date, and pay that. If you truly cannot reach anyone, paying something and keeping the receipt is better than nothing — but treat it as buying time, not as solving it.

6. If the power is already off

• Call and ask what it takes to reconnect: the amount, whether a plan is possible for the rest, the reconnect fee, and whether a deposit is required (and whether it can be waived or spread out).
• Ask whether the medical or seasonal protections can be applied retroactively — sometimes they force a reconnection.
• Apply for crisis LIHEAP the same day; many states prioritize households without service.
• If you have medication that needs refrigeration or equipment that needs power, say so — to the utility and to 211.

Rules of thumb, not legal advice. Shutoff rules, notice periods, and protections are set by state law, your utility's tariff, and your service agreement. Your state's utility commission and local legal aid can tell you what applies to you.