Winter utility shutoff/disconnection moratorium by state
Whether a utility can disconnect service for non-payment during winter, and under what conditions, varies by state on the exact season window, which utility types are covered, and whether an income test applies. Existing free summaries (e.g. energy-broker lead-gen sites) round this to 'most cold states ban Dec-Mar disconnects', which is not precise enough to answer a specific household's situation. Each record is one state and one class of utility — several states set a different window or income test for water than for electric and gas — carrying the exact moratorium window, covered utility types, and eligibility/income test if any, sourced from the state's own regulation or utility-commission order rather than a secondary summary. Answers 'can my gas get shut off in January in Pennsylvania', 'does New Jersey's winter shutoff protection cover water bills', 'what income level qualifies for winter shutoff protection in my state'.
The data
| State | Citation | Moratorium window | Covered utilities | Eligibility / income test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 52 Pa. Code § 56.100 | December 1 through March 31 | City natural gas distribution utility | a city natural gas distribution operation may terminate service after January 1 and before April 1 to a customer whose household income exceeds 150% of the Federal poverty level but does not exceed 250% of the Federal poverty level |
| Pennsylvania | 52 Pa. Code § 56.100 | December 1 through March 31 | Electric distribution and natural gas distribution utilities | customers with household incomes at or below 250% of the Federal poverty level |
| New Jersey | Winter Termination Program (WTP) | November 15, 2025, through March 15, 2026 | electric, gas, water, and sewer services | recipients of any of the following assistance programs: Federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) General Assistance (GA) benefits Universal Service Fund (USF) Lifeline Credit Program |
| Pennsylvania | 52 Pa. Code § 56.100 | December 1 through March 31 | Water distribution utilities |
Where this came from
Every record above links the page it was taken from and quotes the sentence that states it. These are the 2 sources this dataset was assembled from.
- pacodeandbulletin.govhttps://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/052/chapter56/s56.100.html&d=reduce
- nj.govhttps://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/2025/approved/20251114.html
Machine-readable
- data.jsonThe whole dataset — every record with its source URL and source quote.
- Open Knowledge Format bundleOne JSON object per line — every record's frontmatter and quoted span exactly as it is held here, in one fetch.
- How this is made and checkedWhat "verified against source" does and does not mean.