Help paying utility bills in North Dakota

Why North Dakota winters need a plan

North Dakota differs from many cold states. The Public Service Commission (PSC) says its rules do not prohibit disconnection during the winter months as long as the other protections are followed. That makes the notice and postponement rules, plus early energy assistance, especially important once heating season starts. The PSC rules apply to the investor-owned utilities it regulates: Xcel Energy (Northern States Power), Montana-Dakota Utilities, Great Plains Natural Gas, Otter Tail Power and Dakota Natural Gas. Rural electric cooperatives and city-owned utilities are not required to follow the commission's rules, though they may have similar policies of their own. If your power comes from a cooperative or a city, ask for its disconnection policy in writing.

Ten days of notice and a 30-day postponement

A regulated utility must give written notice at least ten days before the day it plans to disconnect. Notice is usually mailed, but it must be delivered in person to customers who are 65 or older or who have a disability. During that ten-day window, you can postpone disconnection for up to 30 days by telling the utility that dangerous health conditions exist, or that you are 65 or older or have a disability. You can also register with the utility before any problem starts if someone in the home is older, has a disability or has an emergency medical problem. Disconnection is not allowed on Fridays, weekends, state holidays, the day before a state holiday, or after 12 noon on any day.

Payment plans and paying under protest

You can stop a disconnection by paying the past-due amount before the shutoff date or by setting up a monthly payment plan for the delinquent balance. Ask for the plan terms in writing, and pick a monthly amount you can keep paying through the coldest months. If you believe the bill itself is wrong, the PSC says you can pay under protest or ask for a formal hearing. While a formal hearing is pending, the utility cannot disconnect you for not paying the disputed amount until the commission issues a final decision. Keep records of every call, letter and payment so the facts are easy to show.

LIHEAP through North Dakota Health and Human Services

North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) offers the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and the local human service zone decides eligibility. Beginning in 2025, HHS moved regular benefits to a year-round application, so you do not have to wait for a fall opening date. Both homeowners and renters can apply. You can apply online through the HHS website, at a human service zone office, or by mail, and Montana-Dakota notes that you can ask the zone office or the state LIHEAP office for a paper application. HHS tells households not to wait for an emergency to apply, so send the application as soon as you expect trouble with a heating bill.

Emergency help, furnaces and weatherization

LIHEAP emergency assistance is available year-round for unexpected hardship. It can help prevent shutoffs, pay for a furnace replacement, or supply a temporary heating or cooling device. With prior approval from the human service zone, the program can also pay to clean and inspect a furnace, and it can replace one that is unsafe, not working and cannot be repaired. North Dakota's LIHEAP also provides weatherization services such as home insulation and weather stripping. For an energy emergency that LIHEAP cannot cover, Montana-Dakota Utilities points customers to Energy Share, a private nonprofit, through local community action agencies in cities that include Bismarck, Dickinson, Minot and Williston.

When to call the Public Service Commission

Start with your utility and ask which protections apply to your account. If you have contacted the utility about a disconnection and believe it is not following these protections, the PSC tells customers to call the commission directly, and it also accepts informal and formal complaints. Have your notice, the dates you called, the names of the people you reached and any payment plan in hand before you call. Water and sewer service is often run by a city or a rural water system with its own rules, so ask that provider directly about payment plans and shutoffs.

Settlemont as one more option in North Dakota

Settlemont is a for-profit bill payment technology company, and it can sit next to LIHEAP and a payment plan rather than replace them. You post one Utility, Medical or Education bill privately with six details and no account number, then identify the biller in a later private step. Staff verify the biller, the owner and the balance before approval. Supporters who choose your bill see only your first name, North Dakota, the category and the verified amount, and they pay a 7 percent card or 5 percent bank service fee on top of their support. That support goes straight to Xcel Energy, Montana-Dakota or your other biller. Nothing is guaranteed, so keep the utility informed.

Sources

• North Dakota Public Service Commission: Protection From Disconnections
• North Dakota Health and Human Services: Heating assistance available to keep North Dakotans warm throughout winter
• North Dakota Health and Human Services: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
• Montana-Dakota Utilities: North Dakota LIHEAP and Energy Share information

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

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