Help paying utility bills in Illinois

Temperature rules that block Illinois shutoffs

Illinois law, at 220 ILCS 5/8-205, ties shutoff limits to the National Weather Service forecast. If gas or electricity is your only source of heat, a utility may not cut service for nonpayment on a day when the forecast for the next 24 hours calls for 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. The same applies on the day before a weekend or holiday that is forecast to be that cold. For homes that rely on gas or electricity for their only cooling, the limit is a forecast of 90 degrees or hotter, and shutoffs are also barred whenever the Weather Service issues an excessive heat watch, heat advisory or excessive heat warning for the area. They protect renters in master-metered apartment buildings too, not just account holders.

Winter payment plans from December through March

From December 1 through March 31, the rule at 83 Illinois Administrative Code 280.135 adds steps before a utility can disconnect a customer who heats with gas or electricity. It must first offer a winter deferred payment agreement that spreads the past due amount over at least four months, ending no later than the following November. The down payment cannot be more than 10 percent of the past due amount. The utility must also give you names and contact details for agencies that may help, and it must wait six business days after its notice before cutting service. If your energy assistance has been approved but not yet paid, you can ask that the expected amount be set aside from the balance your agreement is based on.

Notice, shutoff hours and the 60 day medical hold

Year round, an Illinois utility cannot disconnect until at least 10 days after it sends a written notice, and that notice expires after 45 days. Residential customers also get a warning call at least 48 hours ahead. Shutoffs are not allowed on Friday afternoons, weekends or holidays unless the utility can reconnect you the same day. A medical certificate is one of the strongest tools in the state. Under Section 280.160, a licensed physician or local board of health can certify that service is medically necessary, first by phone and then in writing within seven days. That blocks disconnection for at least 60 days and entitles you to a medical payment arrangement, no matter how earlier plans went.

LIHEAP through Help Illinois Families

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) runs the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through local administering agencies in each county. The state's Help Illinois Families site lets you submit a Request for Services form, and your local agency then contacts you, usually within a week to a month. The current season runs from October 1, 2026 through August 13, 2027, or until funds run out. Income is measured over the 30 days before you apply, and DCEO lists limits of $3,990 for one person and $8,250 for four. Seniors 60 and older, people with disabilities, families with children five or under, and households facing a shutoff within seven days could start in October. Weatherization through the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program starts at the same local agency.

ComEd and Ameren Illinois discounts

ComEd offers a Low-Income Discount with five tiers based on household income compared with the federal poverty level, reaching up to 300 percent. Customers in the first four tiers who were approved for LIHEAP or the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) are enrolled automatically, and the credit lasts up to 12 months before you recertify through LIHEAP. Others can self-certify online through ComEd's Smart Assistance Manager, though that route provides only the tier five discount. Ameren Illinois automatically approves LIHEAP-eligible customers for a monthly gas bill credit through its Natural Gas Service Discount. Ameren also points people who do not qualify for state or federal programs to Warm Neighbors Cool Friends, which helps all year.

Taking a dispute to the Illinois Commerce Commission

Start with the utility. Illinois rules require you to try to resolve a complaint with the company first, and if you reject its final answer, it must tell you about your right to appeal to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) Consumer Services Division. That division takes informal complaints by phone, in person or in writing, including online. While an informal or formal complaint is open, the utility must not disconnect you over the amount or issue in dispute, with narrow safety exceptions. If you later ask to escalate to a formal complaint, you get at least 10 business days to file without a shutoff. Many Illinois water and sewer systems are run by cities or villages with their own billing ordinances, so take a municipal water bill to the local utility office.

Using Settlemont alongside Illinois programs

Settlemont can help an Illinois household close a gap that LIHEAP or a deferred payment agreement leaves open. It is bill payment technology from a for-profit company, and the bill owner never pays it a fee of any kind. The private form takes six details: first name, email, state, bill category, amount and due date. After that you receive a one-time access code, name the utility in a separate private step, and wait while staff verify the utility, your identity and the live balance. If approved, the public page shows your first name, Illinois, Utility and the verified amount, nothing more. A supporter who chooses to help pays a 7% card fee or 5% bank fee on top, and the support is applied at the utility.

Sources

• Illinois General Assembly: 220 ILCS 5/8-205, weather-related shutoff limits
• Illinois Administrative Code: 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280.135, winter rules
• Illinois Administrative Code: 83 Ill. Adm. Code 280.160, medical certification
• Illinois DCEO: Help Illinois Families and LIHEAP
• ComEd: Low-Income Discount program
• Ameren Illinois: Payment options and energy assistance

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

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