The winter moratorium is an annual period of protection against utility service shut off. It blocks utility termination of low income customers of regulated utility companies from December 1st through March 31st. These services include electricity, gas, or heat-related water services and the moratorium applies to those with an income at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Medical certificates can be obtained to stop utility service termination for up to 30 days if a household member has a serious illness or medical condition which requires utility services. They must be submitted in writing and include a signature of a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.

If a utility bill is in your landlord’s name and the landlord does not pay, you must be:

• Notified of the debt

• Given an opportunity to pay the last 30 day bill

• Allowed to pay utility bills going forward and deducted from your rent

• Protected from landlord retaliation

A landlord / property owner may not request for a utility company to cut service to their tenant’s property.

For more information, please see the Tenants Rights one-pager in our Resources.

If you suspect the utility meter to your rented residence is also powering another residence or unit, or a common space in the building, this is called a “foreign load.”* You have the right to ask the utility company to investigate. If there is a foreign load, the utility will put the bill in the landlord’s name until the wiring or plumbing has been corrected.

*For example, in a three unit building, there must be meters for each of the apartments and for the common area (a hallway, lobby, etc.). Each renter should be paying for the electricity that they are using. Paying for the electricity in the common area is the landlord’s responsibility. If the units are not separately metered, the landlord must pay the utility bill and include it as part of the rental price.

A payment arrangement is an agreement to accept responsibility for utility debt and pay it with a series of payments over a period of time.

There are two types of payment arrangements:

Utility Company-Issued Payment Arrangements:

• Companies can offer as many payment arrangements as they want for any length of time.

• Consumers may negotiate for a better payment arrangement.

Tips:

• Avoid automated payment arrangements, which are not based on household income.

• Always speak to a customer service representative.

PUC-Issued Payment Arrangements:

• The PA Public Utility Commission (PUC) can only issue one payment arrangement for a given utility debt scenario.

• The PUC cannot issue a payment arrangement for Customer Assistance Program (CAP) debt.

Survivors of domestic violence are not liable for prior debt in the abuser’s name. In addition, survivors are allowed additional notice if they have a Protection from Abuse order (PFA) or a court order showing clear evidence of domestic violence.