Florida

FLWeak

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
Florida 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
psc.state.fl.us handles complaints against regulated utilities in Florida. Filing one can pause a disconnection while it is looked at.

Electric Gas Water Medical Low Income Regulator

Electric Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice requiredNot regulated / varies

Reconnection fee$4 to $45 standard, at 2 of 5 utilities below

Seasonal and weather protections: No winter moratorium. Florida has no statewide calendar-based disconnection protection. FPL (largest utility) gives customers five working days after a final notice to pay. Florida's mild climate means winter rules are not a legislative priority. Notice days unavailable from primary PSC source.

Major Utilities

Florida Power & L…Duke Energy Flori…Tampa Elec (TECO)Florida Public Ut…Orlando Utilities…

Florida Power & Light (FPL)

Southeast Florida, Atlantic Coast, and parts of Southwest Florida — approximately 5.7 million customer accounts

5-day notice

Medically Essential Service customers receive an additional 30-day delay upon annual physician certification

Florida Administrative Code 25-6.105 requires at least 5 working days written notice before disconnection for non-payment

notice must be separate from any billing statement

Service cannot be disconnected between noon Friday and 8 a.m

Monday, or between noon the day before a holiday and 8 a.m. the next working day

Reconnection charge of $4.00 applies

FPL may waive this fee once in any 12-month period for customers with otherwise satisfactory payment records

Reconnection fee:$4.00

Assistance Programs

Care to Share Program (up to $500/year crisis assistance), LIHEAP, EHEAP, Medically Essential Service Program

"FPL | Rates | Service Charges." fpl.com. Retrieved 16 May 2026.

Duke Energy Florida

Central Florida including Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sumter counties

5-day notice

Florida Administrative Code 25-6.105 requires at least 5 working days written notice before disconnection for non-payment

service cannot be disconnected between noon Friday and 8 a.m

Monday, or before a holiday

Duke Energy Florida's Disconnect Date Extension gives residential customers up to 5 business days to pay a past-due balance and avoid disconnection (corrected from a previously stated one to two weeks, which this source does not support)

A 2024 FPSC-approved settlement reportedly eliminated reconnection fees, but no reachable Duke Energy Florida or FPSC page states a current dollar figure, so reconnection_fee is left null rather than repeating the unconfirmed $0

Assistance Programs

LIHEAP, Neighborhood Energy Saver, Clean Energy Connection Income-Qualified, Customer Assistance Program (CAP)

"Disconnect Extensions - Duke Energy." duke-energy.com. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Tampa Electric (TECO)

Hillsborough County and portions of Polk and Pasco counties in west-central Florida

5-day notice

Customers who depend on life-sustaining electric-powered medical equipment can enroll in Tampa Electric's Medical Watch program, certified by a Florida-licensed physician, for advance notice of interruptions from scheduled maintenance or unpaid bills

the company states Medical Watch does not prevent disconnection for non-payment or guarantee continuous service

Florida Administrative Code 25-6.105 requires at least 5 working days written notice before disconnection for non-payment

service cannot be disconnected between noon Friday and 8 a.m

Monday, or before a holiday

Tampa Electric's tariff sets a reconnect-after-disconnect charge, but the tariff PDF will not extract as text and no other reachable source states the current dollar amount, so reconnection_fee is left null rather than repeating the unconfirmed $175.00

Assistance Programs

TECO Share Program, LIHEAP, EHEAP, Medical Watch Program

"Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 25-6.105 - Refusal or Discontinuance of Service by Utility." law.cornell.edu. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Florida Public Utilities (FPU)

Northeast Florida (Nassau, Duval), Northwest Florida (Jackson, Holmes, Walton counties), and portions of Central Florida

5-day notice

Florida Administrative Code 25-6.105 requires at least 5 working days written notice before disconnection for non-payment

service cannot be disconnected between noon Friday and 8 a.m

Monday, or before a holiday

FPU's own Rights and Responsibilities page adds a 20-day grace period after billing with no late fees before a turn-off notice is issued, and says customers unable to pay may request a Payment Extension or arrangement at 800.427.7712

a deposit may be required after a non-payment disconnection

Assistance Programs

FPU Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP

"Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 25-6.105 - Refusal or Discontinuance of Service by Utility." law.cornell.edu. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC)

City of Orlando and portions of Orange and Osceola counties in Central Florida

5-day notice

Florida Administrative Code 25-6.105 requires at least 5 working days written notice before disconnection for non-payment

Service Reconnect Fee at meter is $45.00 on weekdays 6 a.m.–8 p.m. excluding holidays

digital meters reconnect automatically after payment, while analog meter reconnections paid after 8 p.m. reconnect the next business day

Reconnection at transformer (meter inaccessible) costs $225.00

Reconnection fee:$45.00 (meter, weekday business hours); $225.00 (transformer/remote)

Assistance Programs

LIHEAP, OUC budget billing, payment arrangements

"Service Rates & Costs | Miscellaneous Charges | OUC." ouc.com. Retrieved 16 May 2026.

Gas Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice requiredNot regulated / varies

Reconnection feeVaries by utility

Major Utilities

Peoples Gas Syste…Florida City Gas …Florida Public Ut…

Peoples Gas System (TECO subsidiary)

West-central and central Florida including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota, and surrounding counties

5-day notice

Florida Administrative Code 25-7.089 requires at least 5 working days written notice before disconnection for non-payment

service cannot be disconnected between noon Friday and 8 a.m

Monday

Peoples Gas runs a Share program through Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, plus flexible payment arrangements, Budget Billing, and Due Date Plus for customers on a fixed income

The company's tariff sets turn-on and final-notice fees, but the tariff and handbook PDFs will not extract as text and no other reachable source states the current dollar amounts, so reconnection_fee is left null rather than repeating the unconfirmed $50.00 and $20 figures

Assistance Programs

TECO Share Program, LIHEAP, EHEAP, Due Date Plus, Budget Billing

"Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 25-7.089 - Refusal or Discontinuance of Service by Utility." law.cornell.edu. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Florida City Gas (NextEra Energy subsidiary)

Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties in South Florida

5-day notice

Florida Administrative Code 25-7.089, restated in Florida City Gas's own FPSC tariff, requires at least 5 working days written notice before discontinuance for non-payment

The same tariff sets the reconnection charge at $90.00 for residential service reconnected during normal business hours and $105.00 for residential service reconnected outside normal business hours

Reconnection fee:$90.00 (regular hours); $105.00 (outside regular business hours)

Assistance Programs

LIHEAP, EHEAP, local energy assistance agencies

"Florida City Gas FPSC Natural Gas Tariff, Volume No. 11 (2025)." floridacitygas.com. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Florida Public Utilities (FPU) — Natural Gas Division

Northwest Florida (Jackson, Holmes, and Walton counties) and portions of Northeast Florida

5-day notice

Florida Administrative Code 25-7.089 requires at least 5 working days written notice before disconnection for non-payment

service cannot be disconnected between noon Friday and 8 a.m

Monday

FPU's own Rights and Responsibilities page adds a 20-day grace period from bill issuance before a turn-off notice is issued, and a deposit may be required after a non-payment disconnection

Assistance Programs

FPU Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, payment extensions

"Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 25-7.089 - Refusal or Discontinuance of Service by Utility." law.cornell.edu. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Water Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice requiredNot regulated / varies

Major Utilities

JEA (Jacksonville…Miami-Dade Water …Hillsborough Coun…Orlando Utilities…

JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority)

Jacksonville and parts of Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns counties in Northeast Florida

JEA may begin disconnection for non-payment after 30 days following the rendering of a final bill

JEA will first disconnect electricity

if payment is not made within 5 days, water service is also disconnected

Reconnection on the same day is available if payment is received by 2 p.m. weekdays

payments received after 2 p.m. result in reconnection the next business day

JEA's MyWay prepaid program carries no reconnection fees

Assistance Programs

Neighbor to Neighbor Fund (904-665-6000), LIHEAP, EHEAP, United Way 2-1-1

"Collections, Disconnections, and Unauthorized Utility Use - JEA." jea.com. Retrieved 16 May 2026.

Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD)

Miami-Dade County, Florida

Miami-Dade WASD disconnects water service for non-payment

a reconnection fee of $35.00 per visit is applied to the account

After payment is made, customers must call 305-665-7477: if calling before 7 p.m. weekdays, service is reconnected before midnight

calls after 7 p.m. result in reconnection by 10 a.m. the next day

On weekends, calls before 3 p.m. result in same-day reconnection

Notice period before disconnection is not specified in publicly available WASD materials

Reconnection fee:$35.00 per visit

Assistance Programs

Miami-Dade CAHSD LIHEAP light/water bill assistance (305-375-5770), Crisis LIHEAP

"Reconnect Water Service - Miami-Dade County." miamidade.gov. Retrieved 16 May 2026.

Hillsborough County Water Resources

Unincorporated Hillsborough County, Florida

Hillsborough County Water Resources disconnects water service for non-payment

a $25 reconnection charge applies

After a service disconnection, the deposit (if held) is applied to the balance after 7 days

Service is reconnected the next business day after payment is received

Specific advance notice days before disconnection are not published in publicly available county materials

Reconnection fee:$25.00

Assistance Programs

Hillsborough County Hardship/Affordability Assistance, payment plans, Credit Management Team (813-307-1000 ext. 43800)

"Water Customer Resources - Hillsborough County, FL." hcfl.gov. Retrieved 16 May 2026.

Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) — Water

City of Orlando and portions of Orange and Osceola counties in Central Florida

5-day notice

OUC provides combined electric and water service

if a bill is unpaid, water service may be disconnected

A Non-Payment Removal/Reinstallation of Water Meter charge of $85.00 applies when meters are removed due to non-payment or tampering

A $35.00 trip charge applies in certain service situations

A late payment fee of 1.5% of total amount due or $5.00 is assessed five days after the due date

Reconnection fee:$85.00 (meter removal/reinstallation); $35.00 trip charge

Assistance Programs

LIHEAP, payment arrangements, OUC budget billing

"Service Rates & Costs | Miscellaneous Charges | OUC." ouc.com. Retrieved 16 May 2026.

Medical & Vulnerable Household Exemptions

No statewide statutory medical exemption confirmed by PSC. Individual utilities may have voluntary policies. Florida Statute Chapter 366 does not mandate medical deferrals.

Low-Income Protections

LIHEAP available. FPL and Duke Energy Florida offer budget billing and low-income assistance programs. Florida has the EHEAP (Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program) for households with members 60+.

Your State Regulator

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

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