California

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Days notice (electric)

Days notice (gas)

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Winter moratorium

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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.

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.
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.
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.
Ask about medical certification
California 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.
Contact the regulator if your utility will not work with you
cpuc.ca.gov handles complaints against regulated utilities in California. Filing one can pause a disconnection while it is looked at.

Electric Gas Water Medical Low Income Regulator

Electric Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice required15 days

Reconnection fee$17.50 to $25 standard, at 2 of 5 utilities below

Winter moratorium: Winter moratorium November 1–March 31 for CARE/FERA income-qualified customers. Additional 48-hour written notice required prior to disconnection, plus an outbound call on the day of disconnection. No disconnection on weekends or holidays.

Major Utilities

Pacific Gas and E…Southern Californ…San Diego Gas & E…Los Angeles Dept …Sacramento Muni U…

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)

Northern and central California, approx. 5.5 million electric customers across 70,000 square miles

15-day notice

Medical Baseline / Life Support customers receive an in-person field visit within the 48 hours prior to or at the time of disconnection

CPUC-regulated under Rule 11

15-day written notice required, followed by a separate 48-hour written notice and an outbound call before disconnection

No shutoffs on Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, or when PG&E offices are closed

Payment arrangements suspend the shutoff as long as the customer stays current

service is reconnected by the end of the next business day after payment

Reconnection fee:$17.50 (per gas tariff Rule 11); after-hours field collection charges may apply per Rule 9.

Assistance Programs

CARE (30–35% bill discount for income-qualified households); FERA (18% discount for households of 3+ between 200–250% FPL); Medical Baseline Allowance (extra baseline quantity at lowest tier rate for life-support / serious illness); REACH one-time emergency grant administered by The Salvation Army; LIHEAP via state Community Services and Development; Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) forgives up to $8,000 in past-due balance for CARE/FERA customers making 12 on-time payments.

"PG&E Gas Rule 11 — Discontinuance and Restoration of Service (Tariff)." pge.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

Southern California Edison (SCE)

Most of Southern California except Los Angeles city and San Diego County; approx. 5 million customer accounts across 50,000 square miles

15-day notice

Medical baseline, disabled, senior, and critical-care customers receive in-person field visits prior to disconnection

CPUC-regulated

Per the CPUC's consumer rules, a 15-day written notice is required, followed by a second notice at least 48 hours before actual disconnection and a final phone attempt

No shutoffs on weekends, holidays, or when offices are closed

Customers can request a payment extension or 24-month arrearage payment plan

payment arrangements pause the shutoff while customer stays current

Deposits (twice the average monthly bill) may be required after a non-payment disconnection

A service connection charge applies to restore service

the dollar amount was not confirmed in SCE's own residential collections FAQ or elsewhere, so it is not stated here as a fact

Call SCE at 1-800-747-8908 to confirm

Assistance Programs

CARE (approx. 30% monthly bill discount for income-qualified households); FERA (18% discount for households of 3+); Medical Baseline; Energy Savings Assistance Program (no-cost weatherization/appliances); REACH emergency bill assistance via United Way; LIHEAP referrals; Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) for CARE/FERA customers.

"CPUC Consumer Affairs Branch — Frequently Asked Questions." cpuc.ca.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)

San Diego County and southern Orange County, approx. 1.5 million electric customers

15-day notice

CPUC-regulated under Rule 11

15-day written notice required after a bill becomes past due (19 days from mailing for residential)

Utility must make a reasonable telephone or personal-contact attempt at least 24 hours before disconnection

if contact fails, a 48-hour mail/in-person notice is required

Elderly and handicapped customers receive in-person visits within 5 business days before disconnection

No fee charged to vulnerable customers for the field visit

Payment plans available

same-day remote reconnection if payment is made by 5 p.m

Reconnection fee:Not confirmed from primary source — tariff schedule is binary-encoded. Call 1-800-411-7343 to confirm.

Assistance Programs

CARE (approx. 30% bill discount); FERA (18% discount for households of 3+); Medical Baseline; Neighbor-to-Neighbor temporary hardship grants up to $200; LIHEAP via Community Services and Development; Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) for CARE/FERA customers.

"CPUC Consumer Affairs Branch — Frequently Asked Questions." cpuc.ca.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) — Electric

City of Los Angeles; approx. 1.5 million electric customers — the largest municipal utility in the United States

Shutoffs are suspended during National Weather Service extreme heat or extreme cold/freeze alerts in LA

Municipal utility, not CPUC-regulated

governed by LADWP's own Rules Governing Water and Electric Service

Bills become delinquent 19 days after issuance

LADWP then sends a Final Notice and, if still unpaid, a Discontinuance of Service Notice, but the rules do not state a fixed number of days between notice and disconnection for electric nonpayment (the 7-business-day figure elsewhere on LADWP's site is specific to water service under the state's SB 998 water shutoff law)

EZ-SAVE and Lifeline enrollees are categorically exempt from shutoff for non-payment per Board Motion

Customers on an active payment agreement are protected from disconnection as long as payments are made in full and on time

A reconnection charge applies, in an amount the Rules leave to the General Manager to set

secondary sources describe $50 during business hours for customers below 200% FPL or on public assistance and a higher after-hours rate, but no LADWP document this tool could parse states that figure directly, so it is not asserted here as confirmed

Assistance Programs

EZ-SAVE (low-income bill discount — credit applied monthly); Lifeline Rate; Medical Baseline; Senior Citizen / Disability Lifeline Rate; LADWP Low-Income Discount Program; LIHEAP via LA County Community and Senior Services; emergency hardship grants via 211 LA County.

"LADWP Rules Governing Water and Electric Service." ladwp.com. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)

Sacramento County and small parts of Placer County; approx. 650,000 customer accounts — the sixth-largest community-owned utility in the US

7-day notice

Restoration requires past-due amount paid in certified funds

SMUD is a municipal utility and is not bound by the CPUC's 15-day disconnection-notice rule that applies to investor-owned utilities like PG&E and SCE, so its notice period is 7 days, not 15

It is instead governed by its own SMUD Rule and Regulation 11 (Resolution No

19-06-13, effective June 25, 2019), which states: “Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, seven days written notice will be given before service is discontinued.” Bills are delinquent 19 business days after issuance

Payment arrangements available: minimum payment to avoid disconnection, due-date extension, or up to 6-month payment plan

Customers 62+ may designate a third party to receive disconnection notices

Reconnection fee:$25 during business hours; $134 for truck-roll reconnection (per SMUD published fee schedule).

Assistance Programs

Energy Assistance Program Rate (EAPR — 48% discount on usage, capped at $42/month plus $11.50 fixed-charge discount); Medical Equipment Discount Rate; SMUD Energy HELP one-time grants up to $200/year via Salvation Army; LIHEAP / HEAP credit; budget billing.

"SMUD Rule and Regulation 11 — Discontinuance, Energy Theft, and Restoration of Service (Resolution No. 19-06-13, effective June 25, 2019)." smud.org. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Gas Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice required15 days

Reconnection feeVaries by utility

Major Utilities

Southern Californ…Pacific Gas and E…

Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas)

Most of Southern and Central California; approx. 21 million people across 24,000 square miles — the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States

15-day notice

Medical Baseline / Life Support / self-certified serious-illness customers receive an in-person field visit before service is disconnected

CPUC-regulated

Per the CPUC's own consumer rules, a utility must give a 15-day written notice before disconnection, followed by a second notice at least 48 hours before actual disconnection and a final phone attempt

no disconnection on weekends or legal holidays

No shutoffs on weekends, holidays, or when offices are closed

The CPUC's 2023 Arrearage Management Plan introduced a 24-month payment plan option allowing up to two missed payments before disconnection

SoCalGas's own Gas Rule 9 tariff, which would carry the specific reconnection dollar figure, could not be reached from this research environment (tariff.socalgas.com and www2.socalgas.com both refuse the connection)

call 1-877-238-0092 to confirm the current fee

Assistance Programs

CARE (20% bill discount for income-qualified households); Medical Baseline Allowance (extra natural gas at lowest baseline rate); Energy Savings Assistance Program (no-cost weatherization/appliances); Gas Assistance Fund administered by United Way (one-time grants, not to exceed $100 per the CPUC's 2018 disconnection workshop summary); LIHEAP referrals; Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) forgives up to $8,000 in past-due balance for CARE customers making 12 on-time payments.

"CPUC Consumer Affairs Branch — Frequently Asked Questions." cpuc.ca.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) — Gas Service

Northern and central California; approx. 4.5 million gas customers — combined electric and gas utility

15-day notice

Medical Baseline / Life Support customers receive an in-person field visit within the 48 hours prior to disconnection

CPUC-regulated under Gas Rule 11

15-day written notice required, followed by a separate 48-hour notice and outbound call before disconnection

No shutoffs on Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, or when PG&E offices are closed

Gas reconnection may require an in-home appointment to relight pilots

Payment arrangements suspend the shutoff while the customer stays current

Reconnection fee:$17.50 reconnection charge per Gas Rule 11; after-hours field collection charges may apply per Rule 9.

Assistance Programs

CARE (30–35% bill discount); FERA (18% discount for households of 3+); Medical Baseline Allowance (additional gas at lowest baseline rate); REACH one-time emergency grants via Salvation Army; LIHEAP referrals; Arrearage Management Plan (AMP) forgives up to $8,000 for CARE/FERA customers making 12 on-time payments.

"PG&E Gas Rule 11 — Discontinuance and Restoration of Service." pge.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

Water Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice requiredNot regulated / varies

Major Utilities

Los Angeles Dept …East Bay Muni Uti…San Jose Water Co California-Americ…San Francisco Pub…

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) — Water

City of Los Angeles; approx. 700,000 water service connections serving 4 million residents — the largest municipal water utility in the United States

7-day notice

Shutoffs suspended during NWS extreme heat or extreme cold/freeze advisories in LA

Subject to California SB 998 (Water Shutoff Protection Act)

Bill must be delinquent at least 60 days before water service can be discontinued

At least 7 business days written notice required (via phone or in writing) before shutoff

EZ-SAVE and Lifeline enrollees categorically exempt from shutoff

Customers below 200% FPL eligible for waived interest and reduced reconnection fee

Customers must be offered a payment plan or alternative arrangement before disconnection

Reconnection fee:$50 during normal business hours for customers below 200% FPL or on public assistance (SB 998 cap, indexed to CPI); standard rate may be higher.

Assistance Programs

EZ-SAVE Low-Income Discount; Lifeline Rate; LIHWAP (Low Income Household Water Assistance Program) via CSD; Senior Citizen/Disability Lifeline Rate; emergency hardship grants via 211 LA County; budget billing.

"LADWP — Disconnection Policies (SB 998 Water Shutoff Policy)." ladwp.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)

Alameda and Contra Costa counties (Oakland, Berkeley, and 33 other East Bay cities); approx. 1.4 million water customers

15-day notice

Medical condition certified by a physician postpones shutoff

Municipal utility subject to SB 998

Bill must be 60+ days delinquent

No less than 15 business days before discontinuation, the District mails a written service-interruption notice to the customer (and to the occupant if different from the customer)

No less than 48 hours before shutoff, EBMUD must attempt phone or in-person contact and, if unsuccessful, leave a final written notice

Payment arrangements and amortization plans available

Reconnection fee:Service restoration charge per Schedule of Rates and Charges; exact figure not published in web-readable form. Call 1-866-403-2683 to confirm.

Assistance Programs

Customer Assistance Program (CAP) — 50% off bimonthly service charge, 50% off home water usage up to 1,050 gallons/person/month, plus 35% wastewater discount for qualified low-income customers; LIHWAP referrals; payment extensions and amortized arrangements; budget billing.

"EBMUD Section 15 — Discontinuation of Service and Nonpayment of Bills." ebmud.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

San Jose Water Company

San Jose and adjacent Santa Clara County communities; approx. 1 million customers across a 138-square-mile service territory

10-day notice

Medical certification postpones service termination

Investor-owned utility regulated by CPUC Division of Water and Audits

subject to SB 998

Bill must be 60+ days delinquent before disconnection

At least 10 days written notice required identifying the account in arrears and risk of shutoff

Customers may request a payment extension, deferred or alternative payment schedule before shutoff

Customers below 200% FPL eligible for SB 998 protections including waived interest and capped reconnection fees

Reconnection fee:Reconnection fee charged per CPUC-approved tariff; reduced to $50 during business hours for customers below 200% FPL (SB 998 cap).

Assistance Programs

Customer Assistance Program (CAP, formerly WRAP) — 15% discount on total water charges (excluding state/local fees) for income-qualified customers; LIHWAP referrals; promise-to-pay deferred payment arrangements via Promise Pay platform.

"San Jose Water — Water Shutoff Policy." sjwater.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

California-American Water (Cal Am)

Multiple non-contiguous CA service areas including Monterey Peninsula, Sacramento, Ventura County, Los Angeles County, and Coronado; approx. 700,000 people served

7-day notice

Medical certification postpones disconnection

Investor-owned utility regulated by CPUC Division of Water and Audits

subject to SB 998

Bill must be 60+ days delinquent before discontinuation

At least 7 business days written notice required, plus a final notice posted at the property at least 5 business days before disconnection

Customers may request alternative payment arrangements before shutoff

Reconnection fee waived/reduced for customers below 200% FPL who demonstrate hardship

Reconnection fee:Cal-Am extends the reduced reconnection fee to all customers for administrative ease — $50 business hours / capped lower-of $150 or actual cost for non-operational hours (SB 998 indexed).

Assistance Programs

Customer Assistance Program providing 50% discount on monthly service charge for income-qualified residential customers in most districts; H2O Help to Others Program one-time hardship grants administered locally; LIHWAP referrals; payment extension plans.

"California American Water — Discontinuation of Service (SB 998)." amwater.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

City and County of San Francisco; approx. 880,000 retail water customers plus wholesale customers across the Bay Area

7-day notice

Municipal utility subject to SB 998

Bill must be 60+ days delinquent

Bills are due 15 days from bill date

charges unpaid after 30 days accrue a 0.5% per-30-day late penalty

Before disconnection a 48-hour final notice is posted on the premises

the underlying delinquency notice must precede that by at least 7 business days

SFPUC must offer a deferred or reduced payment plan, alternative schedule, and a formal bill-dispute mechanism before shutoff

Liens may be placed on property in lieu of shutoff in some cases

Reconnection fee:Reconnection fees set by SFPUC tariff schedule; SB 998 limits set the cap at $50 business hours for customers below 200% FPL (indexed). Call 415-551-3000 to confirm.

Assistance Programs

Customer Assistance Program (CAP) — 25–40% discount on water and wastewater (30% on Hetch Hetchy Power for SFPUC electric customers); Extenuating Circumstances Lien Prevention Program for tenants whose landlords are delinquent; LIHWAP referrals; deferred / alternative payment schedules.

"SFPUC — Water Service Shut-Offs and Liens." sfpuc.gov. Retrieved 14 May 2026.

Medical & Vulnerable Household Exemptions

Medical Baseline program provides reduced rates and extra bill protection for customers with serious medical conditions (life support, life-threatening illness, MS, scleroderma, paraplegia/quadriplegia, compromised immune system). Life-support customers receive in-person visit before disconnection. All medically critical customers receive enhanced notification during PSPS events.

Low-Income Protections

CARE program provides 30–35% monthly bill discount for income-qualified customers. FERA provides 18% discount for larger households. LIHEAP available statewide. Utilities required to offer REACH emergency assistance and budget billing.

Your State Regulator

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

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