Help paying utility bills in Virginia

Virginia's temperature and calendar limits

In 2024 the General Assembly added firm shutoff limits to the Code of Virginia. Section 56-245.1:3 covers electric companies, natural gas suppliers, and water and wastewater providers regulated by the State Corporation Commission (SCC). An electric utility may not disconnect a home for nonpayment when the forecast low is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or the forecast is at or above 92 degrees, within the 24 hours after the scheduled shutoff. Gas utilities follow the cold limit, while regulated water and wastewater providers follow the heat limit. Utilities use the local National Weather Service forecast. No covered utility may disconnect a home for nonpayment on a Friday, a weekend, a state holiday or the day before a state holiday.

Sixty days, two notices and an offer of help

Section 56-245.1:4 adds more steps before a shutoff. A covered utility may not disconnect a home for nonpayment until the account is 60 days in arrears. Before that, it must make reasonable efforts to offer bill payment help, arrange a payment plan or share information about other assistance. Notices must reach you by at least two methods, chosen from mail, email, text, phone call or door hanger. They must be in English and Spanish and include information on payment plans and energy assistance. If the Department of Social Services paid toward your electric or gas bill through the Home Energy Assistance Program in the last 12 months, the utility cannot demand a deposit above 25 percent of the arrears to restore service. This applies once every three years.

Fuel, Crisis and Cooling Assistance from VDSS

The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) runs the Energy Assistance Program with federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds. It has Fuel, Crisis and Cooling parts, each for households at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Fuel applications are taken from the second Tuesday in October until the second Friday in November. Crisis help with heating fuel and utility bills runs from the first workday in January through March 16, and help with heating equipment and security deposits starts November 1. Cooling Assistance runs June 15 through August 15 and needs someone in the home who is 60 or older, has a disability or is under six. Apply through CommonHelp, by phone or at your local department of social services.

EnergyShare, Neighbor-To-Neighbor and deposit relief

Utility programs pick up where federal help stops. Dominion Energy's EnergyShare program helps low income households with heating and cooling bills after their LIHEAP benefits run out, or if they did not qualify, and intake happens at local departments of social services and community action or nonprofit agencies. American Electric Power, which serves parts of Virginia as Appalachian Power, runs a Neighbor-To-Neighbor program for current customers who have a cutoff notice and meet LIHEAP income limits. Both are funded by customer and company contributions. The Security Deposit Option Program, built by VDSS and Dominion Energy, lets a utility waive a deposit for people approved for deposit help through Crisis or Cooling Assistance, and other companies have joined.

Weatherization from Virginia's housing agency

Using less energy is the longer fix. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) runs the Weatherization Assistance Program and contracts with local weatherization agencies that handle intake. VDSS sends DHCD a list of Energy Assistance households after each part of the program, so local agencies can reach out to them. If you received Fuel or Cooling Assistance, watch for that contact or call the local agency yourself. Homes that need repairs before weatherization can start may be referred to DHCD's Weatherization Deferral Repair program. Renters should bring the landlord in early. The temperature law covers only water and wastewater providers regulated by the SCC, so a city-run water system may follow its own rules.

Raising a problem with the SCC

The SCC's Division of Public Utility Regulation oversees the electric and gas companies these laws cover. In a letter to those utilities ahead of winter, the division's director urged them to avoid terminations during the extremes of winter weather where practical and to help customers use energy assistance programs. If your utility skips the 60-day rule, the temperature limits or the two-method notice, contact the division and describe what happened. Keep a record of each notice, the date it came and how it reached you, since the law requires two methods. A city-owned utility may have its own appeal process, so confirm who regulates your provider before you call.

Settlemont for a Virginia household

Because a Virginia utility must wait until an account is 60 days behind, there is usually time to work several options at once. Settlemont is one of them, for a single verified Utility, Medical or Education bill. The private form asks for first name, email, state, category, amount and due date, then gives you a one-time access code. Reviewers then check the biller, your identity and the balance on file. Supporters choose an amount and pay a 7% card fee or 5% bank fee on top, and support goes directly to the biller. Sponsors such as employers or foundations can also fund batches of verified bills, with program pricing on request. None of this guarantees payment by the due date, so keep your VDSS application moving.

Sources

• Code of Virginia 56-245.1:3: Disconnection suspension for utilities
• Code of Virginia 56-245.1:4: Notice procedures for nonpayment
• Virginia Department of Social Services: Energy Assistance Program
• Virginia FY2026 LIHEAP State Plan (LIHEAP Clearinghouse)
• Virginia State Corporation Commission: Letter to Utilities on Winter Terminations

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

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