Help paying utility bills in Ohio

The PUCO special reconnect order for 2026 to 2027

Each heating season the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) issues a special reconnect order. The 2026 to 2027 order runs from October 12, 2026 through April 16, 2027. If your service is off or facing disconnection, you can restore or keep it by paying no more than $175 plus a reconnection charge capped at $36, and any reconnection cost above $36 can go on your next bill. The order covers residential customers of PUCO-regulated electric and natural gas utilities, has no income requirement, and can be used once per winter. The utility then sets up a payment plan for the rest of the balance. Households at or below 175 percent of the federal income guidelines can ask the HEAP Winter Crisis Program to cover the $175.

Fourteen-day notices and the winter contact rule

Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06 requires a gas or electric utility to give at least 14 days' notice before disconnecting a residential customer for nonpayment, and on the day of disconnection it must give personal notice or leave written notice at the home. When the disconnection date falls between November 1 and April 15, the utility must also contact you or another adult at the home 10 days ahead, by visit, phone or hand-delivered notice. In that contact it must tell you about government bill help, weatherization and payment plans, including PIPP Plus. Disconnections happen only during normal business hours, and not after 12:30 p.m. on the day before a day when the utility does not regularly reconnect service.

Ohio medical certifications and their 90-day limit

A medical certification stops a disconnection for 30 calendar days. It can come from a licensed physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife or local board of health physician. You can renew it two more times for 30 days each, but the total may not exceed 90 days per household in any 12-month period. A phone certification counts at first only if the written form reaches the utility within seven calendar days. If service is already off and a valid certification arrives before 3:30 p.m., the utility must restore service that same day. Use the protected weeks to apply for HEAP or to set up one of the payment plans below.

Payment plans the utility has to offer

Rule 4901:1-18-05 lists extended payment plans a utility must present when you cannot agree on other terms. The one-sixth plan splits the past-due balance into six equal monthly payments on top of your full current bill. The one-ninth plan spreads the past-due balance over nine months alongside a budget amount for your ongoing use. During the winter heating season, customers not already on a plan can use a one-third plan, paying one-third of the total balance each month. The terms must be given to you in writing, and a utility may not charge late fees while you stay current on one of these plans or PIPP Plus.

HEAP, PIPP Plus and weatherization through ODJFS

Ohio's energy programs are now administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). They include the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), the Winter Crisis Program for income-eligible households threatened with disconnection, the Summer Crisis Program for cooling help, the Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) and the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus). PIPP Plus bills eligible customers of PUCO-regulated utilities five percent of monthly household income for electric or natural gas service, or ten percent in an all-electric home, with a $10 minimum. Income must be at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty level, and each full, on-time payment earns credit toward the old balance. Apply online or through your local energy assistance provider.

AEP Ohio's Neighbor to Neighbor and a PUCO complaint

Ohio Power customers can apply to AEP Ohio's Neighbor to Neighbor program, administered by Dollar Energy Fund, for a grant of up to $500 credited to the bill. Income must be within 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, the account must be at least 30 days behind with at least $50 owed, and you must have paid at least $75 in the three months before applying. PIPP customers cannot use it, and income-eligible households must apply for HEAP or a crisis program first. If any regulated utility ignores these rules, contact the PUCO call center or file a complaint through the PUCO website. City water departments set their own billing and shutoff policies.

Pairing Settlemont with Ohio programs

Settlemont can help after you have used the reconnect order or a payment plan and one specific bill still needs attention. Submit the bill privately with your first name, email, state, category (Utility, Medical or Education), amount and due date. Then, in a separate private step, tell Settlemont who the biller is, and staff verify that company, you and the current balance. An approved page shows supporters only your first name, Ohio, the category and the verified amount. Support goes directly to AEP Ohio or whichever company bills you. You pay no fee, and a bill counts as paid only when a reviewer records the biller's confirmation and a zero balance.

Sources

• Public Utilities Commission of Ohio: Special reconnect order for 2026-2027 heating season
• Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06: Disconnection procedures
• Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-05: Extended payment plans
• Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: Energy and Community Assistance
• Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel: PIPP Plus
• AEP Ohio: Neighbor to Neighbor

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

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