What to know about past-due bills and shutoffs
The end of the Cold Weather Rule is fast approaching, which means certain protections against utility disconnections will no longer be available to residential households. If you or someone you know may be at risk of disconnection, please review the following information and contact CUB.
Cold Weather Rule
Cold Weather Rule
The Cold Weather Rule (CWR) is a Minnesota law that establishes protective measures for residential utility customers from October 1 through April 30. Many Minnesotans believe that there is an automatic pause on disconnections during the winter. This is not true.
While CWR requires utilities to work with customers and take additional precautions before carrying out shut offs, it does not prohibit disconnections entirely. So far this winter, over 14,000 households have had their electricity or gas service disconnected for non-payment. Customers must enter into a payment arrangement to receive the full scope of protections.
Importantly, payment arrangements made during the CWR period often expire at the end of April. Customers must establish a new agreement with the utility to avoid disconnection. CUB has a full webpage devoted to CWR protections.
Payment Arrangements and Shutoff Policies
Cold Weather Rule protections last until April 30, after which utilities follow their standard disconnection procedures. As a result, many residential customers have their electricity or natural gas turned off in May and June each year. If you entered into a payment agreement during the Cold Weather Rule, it is important that you reach out to your utility to set up a new agreement to avoid disconnection.
CUB has a webpage with information about utilities’ payment arrangement and disconnection policies. Key things to know:
- Utilities must work with you to establish a payment agreement that is reasonable based on your personal financial or extenuating circumstances. If you’re facing a situation like a recent job loss, medical issues, or the loss of a family member, make sure to let the utility know when you reach out to set up a payment agreement. We understand these are difficult circumstances that may require more flexible payment agreements; utilities should be willing to work with you to ensure the agreement is something you can afford.
- If your financial circumstances change or something comes up and you are unable to pay the full amount required by your agreement, reach out to the utility before the payment deadline. Utilities can revise the payment agreement if you inform them about these changes. However, if you fail to pay, they may end the agreement entirely, putting you at risk of disconnection.
- If you have any issues setting up a payment agreement with your utility, reach out to the PUC’s Consumer Affairs Office. They will act as a mediator between you and the utility to reach a resolution that is affordable for you and allows you to avoid disconnection. They also handle numerous other complaints related to utilities and can direct you to various resources and assistance options.
Energy Assistance and Utility Affordability Programs
Energy Assistance Utility Affordability Programs
The Energy Assistance Program provides eligible households with monetary assistance to pay down utility bills and past-due balances. The program runs from October through May, but is not currently available during the summer months. If you think you may qualify, submit your application as soon as possible. In addition to receiving help with your current bills, crisis funding may be available if you receive a disconnection notice or need to repair or replace certain heating appliances. If you enroll in Energy Assistance before the end of May, you can request additional crisis funding until the end of June.
Enrolling in Energy Assistance also opens up options for you to receive bill help directly from your utility. All investor-owned utilities in Minnesota offer affordability programs, which are designed to reduce your monthly utility bills. Learn more about affordability programs here, and reach out to your utility today to see if you might be eligible for these offerings.
Remote Disconnections
Minnesota rules generally require utilities to conduct a final in-person visit prior to disconnecting utility service. This provides customers an opportunity to resolve the reason for disconnection, either by paying their past-due amount or by entering into a payment agreement.
Over the past several years, Xcel has received a “variance” to this requirement that allows the company to remotely shut off electricity service if it is able to contact the customer by phone. Unfortunately, this allowed service to be disconnected much faster, and the number of residential shut offs reached record highs in 2024 and 2025. As a result of this rise in disconnections, the PUC recently revoked Xcel’s variance and will once again require the utility to conduct on-site visits before shutting off service.
Dakota Electric Association also has a variance to the in-person visit requirement, but one that is much narrower in scope than Xcel. Since 2022, Dakota Electric has remotely disconnected customers if there are safety risks that make it dangerous for employees to visit the household. Recently, however, the cooperative sought to expand this variance to allow all disconnections to be carried out remotely. The PUC provisionally agreed to this change, but delayed its start date until May 2027. Dakota Electric will be required to meet with CUB and other parties to discuss potential protective measures to reduce customer impacts, and must file a report later this year detailing the outcome of those conversations. If the proposed measures are insufficiently protective of customers, CUB and others could raise objections to the variance at that time.
Remote Reconnections – Extreme Heat and Air Quality
The same meters that Xcel and Dakota Electric have used for remote disconnections can also be used to reconnect customers. Because reconnections can be carried out remotely without requiring an in-person visit, households can regain service much faster than in the past. It also allows utilities to take innovative approaches towards protecting customers against extreme weather.
Over the past several years, Xcel developed a process for reconnecting electricity service for customers during periods of extreme heat or unhealthy air quality. Those protections will go into effect on May 1, 2026. Learn more about Xcel’s reconnection policies during these events.
Dakota Electric is in the process of rolling out similar measures, which are expected to go live later this summer.