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Georgia's winter payment agreement rule, heat advisory protection, medical delays, 45-day and five-day notice limits, gas marketer rules and PSC disputes.

Georgia's disconnection rules at a glance

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) sets disconnection rules for regulated residential utilities in Chapter 515-3 of its rules. Subject 515-3-2 covers residential electric and gas disconnections, and Subject 515-3-3 adds rules for residential gas. Under Rule 515-3-2-.01, an electric utility may disconnect for nonpayment only when a bill for past service has gone unpaid for at least 45 days after the bill date. Before that happens, Rule 515-3-2-.02 requires written notice at least five days ahead, and a good faith effort to reach you at least two days ahead if no personal contact has been made. The disconnection must fall on a business day when a utility representative is available to take payment.

The November 15 to March 15 agreement rule

From November 15 to March 15, Rule 515-3-2-.04 bars an electric utility from disconnecting a residential customer for an unpaid bill when three conditions are met. You must agree in writing to pay the past-due balance in equal installments that start with the first billing period after March 15 and end before the following October 15. You must also agree in writing to pay each new bill by its due date. And the forecast local low for the 24 hours starting at 8 a.m. on the proposed date must be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The gas version, Rule 515-3-3-.04, uses a 48-hour forecast window. Missing a payment under the agreement ends the protection, so pick installments you can keep.

Heat advisories and documenting serious illness

Georgia also protects electric customers during dangerous heat. Under Rule 515-3-2-.04, an electric utility may not disconnect a residential customer for an unpaid bill if, before 8 a.m. on the scheduled date, the National Weather Service has a heat advisory or excessive heat warning in effect, or forecast, for the county where the meter sits. For serious illness, Rule 515-3-2-.03 lets you notify the utility in writing, or orally followed by written notice within 10 days. Within 10 days of that first notice, you send a statement from a physician, hospital or clinic. The statement must name the illness, estimate how long it will last and confirm that losing service would make it worse.

How long a medical delay lasts

Once the illness is documented, the proposed disconnection is held for the shorter of the length of the illness or one month from your first notice. You can extend the hold one additional time by repeating the same steps. That gives a household a limited window, so use it to apply for assistance, arrange installments and line up anyone who can help with the balance. If the utility disputes that the illness exists, the case can be referred to the PSC for a final decision. The hold does not stop new charges from building, and the past-due amount stays on the account, so keep paying toward current service whenever you can and save proof of each payment.

Gas service under Georgia's marketer rules

Georgia's gas rules recognize several kinds of companies. Subject 515-3-3 has separate disconnection rules for a local distribution company, for gas marketers and Electing Distribution Companies, and for the Regulated Provider, along with a rule on marketer obligations. Because the rules treat the distribution company and the marketer separately, read a gas notice carefully to see which company sent it and which would carry out a disconnection, then ask each one about payment options. The winter installment rule and the illness rule each have gas versions in Subject 515-3-3. If you are unsure who supplies your gas, the company name on your monthly bill is the place to start your calls.

Disputes, assistance and other providers

If you dispute a bill, Rule 515-3-2-.06 lets you ask the PSC to review it after the utility's own process is finished. The request can start by phone but must be followed in writing, and it must be made within 10 days after the date of the disputed bill. The investigation happens before any shutoff, and late charges are refunded if you turn out not to owe the bill. Every disconnection notice must include information about programs known to the utility that might help pay a past-due bill, so read that list closely. The Georgia Department of Human Services runs the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through local Community Action Agencies listed at georgiacaa.org, and payments go straight to the energy supplier. Adults 65 and older and medically homebound households can apply first each heating and cooling season, and income must be at or below 60 percent of the state median.

Using Settlemont alongside a Georgia winter agreement

A Georgia winter installment agreement keeps service on, but each payment still has to be made, and Settlemont can help with a verified Utility bill along the way. Settlemont is bill payment technology from a for-profit company. Submitting is private and takes six fields: first name, email, state, bill category, amount and due date. You then get a one-time private access code, identify the utility separately, and staff verify the utility, you and the current balance. The public page shows your first name, Georgia, Utility and the verified amount only. Supporters choose an amount and pay a 7% card or 5% bank service fee on top, and the support is sent directly to the utility. Keep your installment agreement current, since approval does not guarantee payment.

Sources

Facts checked November 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the agency or utility before relying on a protection.

Support on Settlemont goes directly to the biller, never as cash to the bill owner.

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