Can your heat be cut off for nonpayment in extreme cold? Illinois offers these protections
After a winter storm hit the metro-east and St. Louis region over the weekend, Illinois’ winter weather rule will protect certain residents from utility cutoffs.
Snow, ice and arctic temperatures caused dangerous road conditions Sunday, and the National Weather Service St. Louis office said in a Sunday night social media post forecasters had received reports of blizzard-like conditions.
The state’s winter weather rule goes into effect from Dec. 1 to March 31 each year, and it prohibits public investor-owned utility companies, such as Ameren, from disconnecting eligible residents who use electric or gas as their primary source of heat.
“Frigid winters are a given in Illinois. The state’s winter weather rule offers peace-of-mind for individuals and families who might otherwise be struggling to stay warm during the coldest months of the year,” Illinois Commerce Commission chairperson Doug Scott said in a Dec. 2, 2024, press release.
The NWS issued a winter storm warning in effect through Monday morning. Belleville residents can expect bitter cold temperatures this week, with forecast temperatures as low as zero degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday, Jan. 8. Snow accumulation may stick around for a while, as the temperature is not expected to exceed 32 degrees until Saturday, which has a high forecast around 33.
Eligible residents under the Illinois winter weather rule include participants of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, participants of the Percentage of Income Payment Plan, people with electric space heating, military personnel and veterans.
In addition, Illinois residents are protected from heat disconnection due to overdue bills when temperatures are forecast to be at or below 32 degrees and on days preceding holidays or weekends when the forecast calls for freezing temperatures.
Customers with a past-due balance should contact their utility company to enroll in a deferred payment agreement, or DPA, to avoid disconnection, the press release said.
If your service has already been disconnected, officials recommend contacting your utility company to see if you qualify for reconnection for less than the full amount owed. If you have a disconnection notice with a disconnection date or have been disconnected, you can also contact the St. Clair County Community Action Agency at 618-277-6790 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Other residential customers or master-metered apartment buildings who used gas or electricity as the primary source of space heating equipment during the previous winter cannot be disconnected for non- payment unless: the utility has offered the customer a DPA with a maximum down payment of 10 percent; provided the customer with contact information for public and private aid agencies; the customer refused to enter a DPA; and all disconnection notices provisions have been met,” the release said.
St. Clair County residents, as well as people across Illinois, can apply for the LIHEAP program, which helps “eligible low-income households” pay for home energy services. Applications are being accepted and will be open until August or until funds run out, Illinois Commerce Commission spokesperson Cayli Baker wrote in a Jan. 3 email to the News-Democrat.
The previous LIHEAP funding cycle, from October 2023 to August 2024, served 333,738 households, Baker wrote in an earlier email to the BND. The state received more than 185,000 LIHEAP applications from Oct. 1 to Dec. 17, and more than 124,000 households are currently receiving at least one LIHEAP benefit for the 2025 funding cycle.
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