# Pennsylvania — winter shutoff moratorium for city natural gas distribution utilities

For Pennsylvania, citation is 52 Pa. Code § 56.100; moratorium window is December 1 through March 31; covered utilities is City natural gas distribution utility; eligibility / income test is 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, verified against its source on 2026-08-19.

- **State:** Pennsylvania _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Citation:** 52 Pa. Code § 56.100 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Moratorium window:** December 1 through March 31 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Covered utilities:** City natural gas distribution utility _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Eligibility / income test:** 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 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> (b) Electric distribution and natural gas distribution utilities. Unless otherwise authorized by the Commission, during the period of December 1 through March 31, an electric distribution utility or natural gas distribution utility may not terminate service to customers with household incomes at or below 250% of the Federal poverty level except as provided in this section or in § 56.98. The Commission will not prohibit an electric distribution utility or natural gas distribution utility from terminating service in accordance with this section to customers with household incomes exceeding 250% of the Federal poverty level. (c) City natural gas distribution utility. In addition to the winter termination authority in subsection (b), 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, and starting January 1, has not paid at least 50% of charges for each of the prior 2 months unless the customer has done one of the following:

## Source

- https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/052/chapter56/s56.100.html&d=reduce

Last verified: 2026-08-19. Review by: 2027-02-15.
Part of [Winter utility shutoff/disconnection moratorium by state](https://referencesource.org/utility-shutoff-moratorium-by-state/).