Will I Get Cut Off?
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Alabama

ALWeak
5
Days notice (electric)
5
Days notice (gas)
✗
Winter moratorium
✓
Medical exemption

What to do today

If you have a shutoff notice, the date on it is the one that matters. These steps work best in this order.

  1. Call your utility before the date on your notice

    Ask for a payment plan or a deferred payment arrangement. Most states require your utility to offer one, and asking before the date is what keeps your service on. The number is on your bill.

  2. Apply for energy assistance

    LIHEAP helps with utility bills and does not have to be paid back. Call the national referral line on 1-866-674-6327 weekdays 9am to 7pm Eastern, or visit energyhelp.us.

  3. Dial 211 for local help

    211 is free and connects you to local funds for utilities, rent and food. Some local agencies can pay a utility directly to stop a shutoff.

  4. Ask about medical certification

    Alabama recognises medical protections. If anyone in your home has a serious illness or relies on powered medical equipment, a note from a doctor can delay a shutoff. Ask your utility for the form today, because it usually has to be back within days.

  5. Contact the regulator if your utility will not work with you

    psc.alabama.gov handles complaints against regulated utilities in Alabama. Filing one can pause a disconnection while it is looked at.

ElectricGasWaterMedicalLow IncomeRegulator

Electric Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice required5 days
Reconnection feeVaries by utility
Seasonal and weather protections: No formal winter moratorium. Cold-temperature rule prohibits disconnection on days when NWS forecasts temperature at or below 32°F. Age 65+ and handicapped customers also protected during forecasted heat above 95°F.

Major Utilities

Alabama PowerHuntsville Utilit…

Alabama Power

Most of Alabama (central, southern, and eastern regions); subsidiary of Southern Company

5-day notice
Protections for customers with medical necessity, elderly (60+), and disabled through Special Needs and Project SHARE programs
Alabama PSC General Rules, Rule 12(B), require at least five (5) days' written notice before disconnection for nonpayment, applying to every APSC-regulated electric and gas utility in the state alike (not company-specific)
No shutoff when the National Weather Service forecasts the temperature at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for that calendar day (Rule 12(B)(5))
No cutoff for nonpayment after 3:30 p.m. on a day immediately before the utility's office is closed
A customer may pay in full any time before actual disconnection
Alabama Power's own reconnect-service page (https://www.alabamapower.com/residential/billing-and-payment-options/reconnect-service.html) states the current reconnection fee schedule, not restated in the APSC general rules (which authorize a utility-specific fee but do not set the dollar amount themselves): $50 Monday-Friday before 5 p.m. or after 7 p.m. (next-day restoration)
$75 Monday-Friday 5-7 p.m. or weekends/holidays before 7 p.m. (same-day restoration)
$50 weekends/holidays after 7 p.m. (next-day)
Reconnection fee:Business-hours and extended/after-hours fees apply, see notes for current dollar amounts
Assistance Programs

Project SHARE (Salvation Army, low-income 60+ or disabled); ABC Trust (Alabama Business Charitable Trust for low-income families); LIHEAP (November–May in select counties); Low Income Assistance ($14.50 credit for SSI/Medicaid recipients toward customer charge)

"General Rules of the Alabama Public Service Commission, Rule 12(B) (Disconnection Notice)." psc.alabama.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Huntsville Utilities (Electric)

Huntsville and surrounding Madison County, AL; municipal utility distributing TVA power

Municipal utility, not an APSC-regulated investor-owned company
Its Disconnection of Service policy (CC-08) requires a mailed Final Notice giving the customer an Account Review Procedure to invoke before disconnection, but does not itself state a total notice-day count
hsvutil.org's own copy of that policy is blocked to automated readers by the site's robots.txt, so it is cited here by name rather than as the source URL
The utility's Customer Service Fees schedule, mirrored on the city's Revize-hosted site, sets the reconnect-after-nonpayment fee at $60.00 for AMI meters and $95.00 for non-AMI meters, rising to $115.00 after 6 p.m., weekends, or holidays
Reconnection fee:$60.00 (AMI meter) or $95.00 (non-AMI meter) for reconnecting a paid delinquent account; $115.00 after 6 p.m., weekends, or holidays
Assistance Programs

Huntsville Utilities administers LIHEAP and local financial assistance programs

"Huntsville Utilities Customer Service Fees schedule (effective October 1, 2021, still in force)." huntsvilleutility.revize.com. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Gas Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice required5 days
Reconnection feeVaries by utility

Major Utilities

Spire Alabama (fo…Huntsville Utilit…Alabama Gas Corp

Spire Alabama (formerly Alagasco)

30+ Alabama counties including Jefferson, Montgomery, Mobile, Baldwin, Tuscaloosa; central, northern, and Mobile area Alabama

5-day notice
Protections for elderly, disabled, and medically vulnerable customers per APSC rules
Alabama PSC General Rules, Rule 12(B), require at least five (5) days' written notice before disconnection for nonpayment, applying to every APSC-regulated electric and gas utility alike
No shutoff when the National Weather Service forecasts the temperature at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for that calendar day
No cutoff for nonpayment after 3:30 p.m. on a day immediately before the utility's office is closed
Reconnection fees are authorized by the Commission on a per-utility basis but the dollar amount is not stated in the general rules themselves
no reachable Spire Alabama page states a current figure, so reconnection_fee stays null
Assistance Programs

Payment assistance programs available; LIHEAP; Budget Billing and payment arrangement options

"General Rules of the Alabama Public Service Commission, Rule 12(B) (Disconnection Notice)." psc.alabama.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Huntsville Utilities (Gas)

Huntsville and surrounding Madison County, AL; municipal gas distribution utility

Municipal utility, not an APSC-regulated investor-owned company
the same Disconnection of Service policy (CC-08) governs both its gas and electric service
It requires a mailed Final Notice giving the customer an Account Review Procedure to invoke before disconnection, but does not itself state a total notice-day count
hsvutil.org's own copy of that policy is blocked to automated readers by the site's robots.txt, so it is cited here by name rather than as the source URL
The utility's Customer Service Fees schedule, mirrored on the city's Revize-hosted site, sets the reconnect-after-nonpayment fee at $60.00 for AMI meters and $95.00 for non-AMI meters, rising to $115.00 after 6 p.m., weekends, or holidays
Reconnection fee:$60.00 (AMI meter) or $95.00 (non-AMI meter) for reconnecting a paid delinquent account; $115.00 after 6 p.m., weekends, or holidays
Assistance Programs

Administers LIHEAP and local financial assistance programs

"Huntsville Utilities Customer Service Fees schedule (effective October 1, 2021, still in force)." huntsvilleutility.revize.com. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Alabama Gas Corporation

Central and Northern Alabama, Mobile, Alabama Area

The Medical Emergency Program delays service disconnection up to 21 days if loss of service would create medical risk
The Critical Medical Needs Program suspends disconnection for up to 30 days with health care provider certification
Page does not provide information about standard notice requirements, winter moratoriums, or standard shutoff procedures
Extended Payment Date Program extends due dates by 10 days for SSI recipients
Assistance Programs

Medical Emergency Program, Critical Medical Needs Program, Extended Payment Date Program, LIHEAP, DollarHelp, Customer Charge Waiver Program, Registered Customer Program, Payment Partner Program, Weatherization, Red Tag Furnace/Water Heater Repair Program, Budget Billing, Pay As You Save (PAYS), and payment arrangements.

"I Need Help with My Natural Gas Bill | Spire Inc.." spireenergy.com. Retrieved 17 May 2026.

Water Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice requiredNot regulated / varies

Medical & Vulnerable Household Exemptions

Service may not be disconnected when life or health is threatened. Doctor's note required for medical postponement; utility must adopt reasonable tariff rules for households with illness, age, or handicap.

Low-Income Protections

LIHEAP assistance available. No statewide PIPP. Alabama PSC requires utilities to provide information about energy assistance programs.

Your State Regulator

File a complaint or get help from Alabama's utility regulator →

Data last verified: 2026-09-21. Rules may change — verify with your state regulator.