Help paying utility bills in Kansas

Using the Cold Weather Rule from November through March

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) Cold Weather Rule runs from November 1 through March 31 and covers residential customers of electric, natural gas and water utilities under KCC jurisdiction. It does not pause bills, and it only helps if you call the utility and make pay arrangements. Under the rule you can pay one twelfth of the overdue amount, one twelfth of your current bill, any disconnection and reconnection fees and any deposit owed, then pay the rest in equal amounts over the next 11 months. You must keep paying full new bills while you pay down the old balance. If you fell behind on an earlier plan and cannot catch up, make a new payment agreement with the utility.

The 35 degree forecast and notice requirements

During the Cold Weather Rule period, a utility cannot disconnect you when the temperature is forecast to drop below 35 degrees Fahrenheit within the next 48 hours. It may start the final notice and disconnection process only after a 48 hour forecast of temperatures above 35 degrees. If the forecast turns colder before that window ends, the utility must wait for another warm forecast. Utilities must send written notice 10 days before disconnection and try to reach you by phone or in person the day before. They must also tell you about the Cold Weather Rule plan, other payment plans and agencies with funds to help. To stay connected when it is 35 degrees or warmer, or to be reconnected in any weather, you need a pay arrangement in place.

Medical hardship under KCC billing standards

The KCC billing standards include a separate protection for health emergencies that applies all year. If you show the utility that a shutoff would be especially dangerous to the health of you, a family member or another permanent resident, and that you cannot pay or can pay only in installments, the utility must either accept reasonable installments or postpone disconnection for at least 21 days so you can arrange them. In judging the danger, the utility must consider the weather and the person's medical condition, age or disability. A written note from a doctor makes the case clearer, so ask for one and keep a copy. Use the 21 days to apply for assistance and set up the plan, since the protection does not reduce what you owe.

LIEAP from the Department for Children and Families

Kansas runs its federal home energy funds as the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) through the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). It pays a one-time benefit each year toward winter heating. During the application period you can apply online through the DCF Self-Service Portal or ask your local DCF Service Center for a paper form. The 2026 period has closed, and DCF will post the next dates when they are set. An adult in the home must be responsible for the heating bill. The most recent season capped income at 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Households where everyone is 62 or older and income comes only from Social Security or the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System may stay eligible for three years.

Share The Warmth and Evergy programs

Kansas Gas Service funds its Share The Warmth program with customer contributions, and The Salvation Army distributes the help to qualifying families no matter what fuel heats the home. To apply, visit your nearest Salvation Army location. Evergy offers a Pay Agreement installment plan that divides a balance into monthly payments. If you are 60 or older and disabled or often away from home, you can name a Special Friend whom Evergy contacts when a payment is overdue, and that person is not responsible for the bill. Evergy also runs a Medical Customer Program for people who rely on powered life-saving equipment. Staff at its Evergy Connect centers in Kansas City and Wichita help with applications, and some assistance can take up to 30 days to post.

Complaints and the limits of KCC rules

If a regulated utility will not follow the rules, contact the KCC Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Division. Complaints can be filed online through the KCC Connect portal. The Commission also keeps a statewide resource guide, sorted by region, that lists local groups offering bill help and weatherization. Keep in mind that the Cold Weather Rule applies only to utilities under KCC jurisdiction. Many Kansas cities own their electric or water utilities, and those systems set their own shutoff and payment policies, so check with city hall if your bill comes from the city. Rural electric cooperatives may also follow different rules depending on how they are regulated, so ask the cooperative which protections apply to your account.

Where Settlemont fits with a Kansas pay arrangement

When a Cold Weather Rule plan still leaves a balance you cannot reach, Settlemont gives you a private way to ask for help with that specific Kansas bill. Settlemont is bill payment technology from a for-profit company, and bill owners pay it nothing, ever. The form takes six fields and asks for no statement or account number. Once you submit, you receive a one-time private access code, identify your utility in a separate step, and staff verify the utility, you and the balance due. The public page displays your first name, Kansas, Utility and the verified figure. People who choose to help select an amount and leave an email, Settlemont confirms the current balance with them, and their support is sent directly to the utility. Coverage is not guaranteed.

Sources

• Kansas Corporation Commission: Cold Weather Rule
• Kansas Corporation Commission: Electric and gas billing standards
• Kansas Corporation Commission: Utility and weatherization assistance programs
• Kansas Department for Children and Families: Low Income Energy Assistance Program
• Kansas Gas Service: Share The Warmth
• Evergy: Energy assistance

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

Related resources