Ohio utility customers who are behind can keep or restore gas or electric service for $175 from Oct. 12, with no income test, under a state order – Newsbreak

Ohioans who have fallen behind on a gas or electric bill can keep the service on, or get it turned back on, for no more than $175 starting October 12. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio issued the 2026-2027 Special Reconnect Order on September 30, and the state’s consumer advocate says there is no income test to use it.

What the order does

The commission announced that it had issued the order for the coming winter heating season. A local news report on the order puts the dates at October 12, 2026, through April 16, 2027. Under it, a residential customer of a regulated electric or natural gas utility pays no more than $175, plus any reconnection charge, to keep service or have it restored, no matter how much is owed.

The reconnection charge cannot exceed $36, according to the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, the state’s residential utility customer advocate. Any amount over $36 shows up on the next bill. Last winter’s consumer guide added that the $175 can be split between electric and natural gas when a household uses both.

The order has run on the same terms before. The consumer counsel’s factsheet still shows last winter’s window of October 13, 2025, through April 15, 2026, with the same $175 and $36 figures.

Who can use it

The factsheet says there are no income restrictions to use the order. Any customer of a utility regulated by the commission can use it. The local report says it may be used once per winter heating season, and last winter’s guide described it as one-time per utility.

That makes it different from most winter help, which is tied to income or age. A retiree with a pension that is too high for assistance programs, or a family that earns too much for any benefit, still has the same option as anyone else. The catch is that it only reaches customers of utilities the commission regulates.

Ohio’s $175 opens the door on October 12, but the rest of the balance and any heating-assistance application still need dates and paperwork. The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit pairs heating, cooling and home-repair help with an application log and renewal calendar, so the payment plan and each application are tracked together.

Log the Ohio $175 reconnect and heating-help applications in the Senior Home-Cost Relief Kit →

What happens to the rest of the bill

The $175 does not wipe out a past-due balance. The consumer counsel’s consumer guide says a payment plan is required for amounts over $175. A household that owes $600, for example, pays $175 to keep service and then has the remaining balance spread over a plan with the utility. The guide says customers should contact their utility or their local Energy Assistance Provider or community action agency to use the order.

For the previous winter, the guide also said a disconnection can be delayed up to 30 days for an appointment with the Winter Crisis Program, which is part of the state’s Home Energy Assistance Program.

Heating assistance and new service

The order also covers people setting up service. The factsheet says it can be used to start new utility service by paying only $175 instead of a full security deposit, and the local report repeats that.

Households with lower income can ask for more help. According to the local report, households at or below 175 percent of federal income guidelines can apply for the state’s HEAP Winter Crisis program, which can cover the $175. The assistance program has its own application.

Who is left out

The order covers customers of PUCO-regulated utilities only. Last winter’s guide says municipal utilities and rural electric co-ops are not required to offer it. A customer of a city-owned electric system or a member of a rural co-op will need to ask that utility what winter payment help it has.

Using the $175 reconnect order

The first call goes to the utility or the local Energy Assistance Provider, the two contacts the consumer counsel lists. Before calling, it helps to have the account number, the latest bill, any disconnection notice and the date it gives. The caller should say the request is under the Special Reconnect Order and ask what the total will be with the reconnection charge.

Anyone who is also behind on other winter bills should ask the provider about the payment plan for the remaining balance, and what monthly amount is required, before agreeing to it. A written copy of the plan is worth asking for.

The free references are the commission’s announcement and the consumer counsel’s factsheet linked above. Both are official, and the commission is the body that issued the order.

$175 now, and a balance that still has to be paid

The reconnect order caps what is due up front at $175 plus a $36 fee, then leaves a payment plan for everything over that. The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit holds heating, cooling and home-repair help and an application log and renewal calendar, so the plan, the HEAP application and the next date to watch stay in one place. It is a 64-page kit.

Get the heating-help guide and renewal calendar from the Senior Home-Cost Relief Kit →

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

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