If a shutoff notice has arrived, act today: call the utility using the number on your bill or notice, ask for the exact disconnection date and every payment arrangement or hardship option, then contact your state or territory’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) office or a community action agency about regular and crisis assistance. Tell the utility that you are applying and ask whether a local protection or temporary stay applies; an application does not automatically stop a shutoff nationwide.
Rules, eligibility, covered fuels and application windows vary by state, territory and provider. The steps below focus on home energy—electricity, natural gas, heating oil and other household energy—not on assuming that water, sewer, telephone or internet service follows the same rules.
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What to do in the next 24 hours
A notice is a deadline, not a reason to wait for a program decision. Use this sequence so the account, assistance application and any local protection are moving at the same time.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- Call the utility immediately. Use the telephone number printed on the bill or shutoff notice, not a number from an unsolicited message. Ask the representative to state the exact date and time a disconnection could occur, the amount needed to stop it, and whether the company offers a payment arrangement, hardship plan, budget billing option or other hold. Ask what confirmation number or written record you will receive.
- Contact the local LIHEAP office or community action agency. Ask whether regular assistance or emergency assistance for an energy crisis is available, which fuels and providers are covered, whether applications are open, and how quickly the office can review a crisis request. Federal guidance identifies emergency services but does not promise approval before your utility’s deadline. USAGov’s energy-bill assistance page explains how to find the relevant state or territory office.
- Tell the utility that an application is pending. Ask whether your state requires the utility to pause disconnection while the office reviews the application, whether you must provide an application number or certification, and whether a payment is still required. Do not assume that merely submitting an application creates a hold.
- Escalate a disputed answer. If the utility’s response conflicts with published state rules or the representative will not explain the deadline, contact the state public-utility regulator. Keep the notice, bills, names, dates, confirmation numbers and copies of every submission.
Documents to assemble
Have the shutoff notice, account number, photo identification, proof of address, household-member information, recent income records and any benefit documentation available. If a program asks for medical or disability evidence, gather that as well. Requirements differ by local office, so ask which documents are mandatory before assuming that an incomplete application will be accepted.
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Start with LIHEAP, but apply through your state or territory
LIHEAP is the principal federal starting point for home-energy assistance. Depending on the location, it may help with heating or cooling bills and may also help with electric bills. States and territories—not one national office—set income limits, household rules, covered services, application methods and funding schedules. The same household can therefore face a different process after moving across a state line.
Regular assistance and crisis assistance
A regular LIHEAP benefit can reduce an eligible household’s energy bill under the local program’s rules. A crisis component is intended for an energy emergency, such as a pending shutoff or another urgent loss of heating or cooling, where the state offers that service. Ask the local office whether your situation meets its crisis definition and what evidence it requires. Emergency availability does not guarantee that funds will be issued before the date on your notice.
How to locate and apply
USAGov directs consumers to answer eligibility questions, find the LIHEAP office for their state or territory, and apply through that office. Some jurisdictions accept online applications; others require an in-person appointment or submission through a community action agency. Follow the local instructions exactly and save a screenshot, receipt, email or stamped copy showing when you applied.
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- Open the USAGov energy-bill assistance page and use its eligibility questions.
- Select your state or territory to identify the administering office or authorized local agency.
- Ask whether the program is accepting applications, whether crisis funding is separate from regular assistance, and which energy providers and fuel types qualify.
- Submit every requested document and record the date, method and confirmation number.
- Call the utility again with the confirmation details and ask what the utility needs to place any available hold or payment arrangement on the account.
Questions to ask the LIHEAP office
- What income period and household definition does this application use?
- Is the benefit paid to the household, credited directly to the utility, or handled another way?
- Does the program cover this service type and provider, including a municipal utility, rural electric cooperative or deliverable-fuel supplier?
- Is there a crisis process for a shutoff notice, and what is the review timeline?
- Can an application be corrected after submission if a document is missing?
- What proof must be sent to the utility to obtain a local shutoff protection?
Choose the right path for your immediate problem
| Option | What it can address | Timing and limits | What to verify locally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility payment arrangement or hardship plan | Past-due balance and the immediate shutoff account | Depends on the provider’s terms; it may require an initial payment or continuing installments. | Amount due now, installment amount, due dates, fees, and whether the arrangement prevents disconnection. |
| LIHEAP regular assistance | Eligible household energy costs, including heating or cooling and, in some locations, electricity | State- and territory-administered; applications may open and close as funds are available. | Income rules, covered provider and fuel, documents, application method and processing time. |
| LIHEAP crisis assistance | An energy emergency such as a pending shutoff, where the local program offers it | Emergency services are location-specific; approval before the utility deadline is not assured. | Crisis definition, required notice, proof, funding status and how the utility is notified. |
| State shutoff protection or moratorium | A temporary restriction or stay on disconnection when local conditions are met | May depend on weather, age, disability, medical need, income, provider or an application; it generally does not erase arrears. | Qualifying condition, dates, covered provider, certification and any required payment plan. |
| Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) | Longer-term energy-saving improvements to an eligible home | Not presented as an immediate shutoff remedy; scheduling and work depend on the state office. | Income or qualifying-benefit eligibility, property rules and the state WAP application process. |
How shutoff protections actually work
“Each state has a different policy about when utility companies can and cannot disconnect your electricity or natural gas for non-payment.” — USAGov
That rule-by-rule approach matters. A protection may apply only during specified weather, to a household with an older adult, to a person with a disability or medical condition, or to a customer who completes a certification and payment arrangement. A provider’s own tariff can also determine the procedure. Ask for the rule that applies to your account rather than relying on a general statement that your state has a moratorium.
The LIHEAP Clearinghouse disconnection reference, updated July 20, 2026 with policy information current as of April 2026, warns that state protections may not cover municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives or every fuel provider. A restriction generally postpones disconnection while its conditions apply; it does not reduce the arrears. When the restriction ends, the unpaid balance and any required payment arrangement still need to be addressed.
Check these five conditions before counting on a protection
- Household status: Does the rule require an older adult, disability, medical emergency, critical-care resident, child or income qualification?
- Season or weather: Is the protection limited to winter, extreme heat, a temperature threshold or another defined period?
- Provider and fuel: Does it cover your investor-owned utility, municipal utility, cooperative, natural gas, electric service or delivered fuel?
- Paperwork: Must a doctor, agency or state office submit a certification, and is renewal required?
- Payment condition: Does the utility require a deposit, installment plan or current bill payment even while disconnection is restricted?
State examples: use them as models, not nationwide rules
Iowa’s 2026–27 LIHEAP schedule
The Iowa Utilities Commission reported on September 29, 2026 that Iowa applications open October 1 for households with a resident age 60 or older, a disabled resident or a housing crisis. Other eligible Iowa renters and homeowners may apply starting November 1. The application period runs through April 30, 2027. These dates apply to Iowa’s 2026–27 season, not to other states or future seasons. Read the Iowa Utilities Commission notice and confirm that the local agency is still accepting applications.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Iowa also provides a concrete example of why notifying the utility matters: LIHEAP-certified households qualify for winter disconnection protection, and a customer who tells the utility that they are applying receives a 30-day stay while the local agency processes the application. The stay is an Iowa rule with stated conditions; it should not be represented as a national LIHEAP entitlement.
Michigan’s referral and protection examples
The Michigan Public Service Commission tells customers they may call 211 to learn about available help and lists state and utility programs. Its consumer guidance describes protections or assistance examples for income-qualified households, older adults, medical emergencies and critical-care households, each with its own conditions. Michigan’s 211 referral and protection rules illustrate how a state can combine a referral line with specific eligibility pathways; they do not establish rights in another state. See Michigan’s current customer-assistance information.
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If the utility will not stop the shutoff
Ask the representative to explain, in plain terms, what must be paid or filed and by what time. If you have a pending LIHEAP or other assistance application, provide the confirmation number and ask whether the company has received the required notice from the administering agency. Request the answer in writing or note the representative’s name, department and call reference.
If the answer appears inconsistent with a published tariff or state protection, contact the state utility regulator and provide the shutoff notice, account history, payment records, application receipt and the utility’s response. A regulator can explain complaint or dispute procedures and the rule that governs the provider, but you should still keep working directly with the utility and assistance office because a complaint does not automatically create a payment credit or nationwide stay.
What to do after a disconnection
Call the utility immediately and ask for the exact reconnection conditions: amount required, acceptable payment method, documentation, inspection requirements and the earliest reconnection time. Contact the LIHEAP or community action office the same day and explain that service is already off; ask whether its crisis process covers reconnection and how the utility must be notified. If a medical or safety condition is involved, say so directly and ask which certification the provider or agency requires. Do not assume that a past-due balance is forgiven because a protection or moratorium previously applied.
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Reduce future bills through weatherization
LIHEAP addresses a bill or energy crisis. The Weatherization Assistance Program is a separate, longer-term route for energy-saving home improvements. USAGov says WAP eligibility can depend on income or participation in qualifying federal programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and consumers apply through the state WAP office. Improvements may lower future energy use, but WAP is not presented as a guaranteed way to prevent a shutoff already scheduled.
Ask the state WAP office about the property and household rules, whether renters need landlord consent, the local waiting list and the improvements the program can perform. Continue addressing the current account with the utility and LIHEAP while a weatherization application is pending.
A practical decision checklist
- Shutoff date is close: prioritize the utility call, crisis-assistance inquiry and confirmation of any local stay.
- You have a qualifying older, disabled or medically vulnerable resident: tell both the utility and assistance office; ask exactly what certification and provider rules apply.
- You can make a partial payment: ask whether it activates a written installment or hardship arrangement and what happens if a later installment is missed.
- Your provider is municipal, cooperative or fuel-delivery based: verify coverage instead of assuming the state’s investor-owned-utility rules apply.
- Your immediate account is stable but bills remain unaffordable: pursue regular LIHEAP and WAP, and ask the utility about a sustainable payment arrangement.
- A deadline or rule is disputed: preserve records and contact the state utility regulator while continuing to seek a direct arrangement.
Keep a single record of every application and call
Use one folder—paper or electronic—for notices, bills, income records, identification, medical documentation, applications, upload receipts, emails and call notes. Write down the date, time, person contacted, exact promise or requirement, confirmation number and next deadline. When an office says it has sent a certification to the utility, ask when the utility should see it and call the utility to confirm receipt. This record helps you show that you acted before the deadline and prevents conflicting instructions from being lost.
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The safest general rule is simple: contact the utility and the local assistance office in parallel, verify the provider and state-specific conditions, and treat every protection as temporary unless the responsible office confirms otherwise.
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