Ohio

OHModerate

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
Ohio 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
puco.ohio.gov handles complaints against regulated utilities in Ohio. Filing one can pause a disconnection while it is looked at.

Electric Gas Water Medical Low Income Regulator

Electric Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice required14 days

Reconnection feeVaries by utility

Winter moratorium: November 1–April 15: utility planning to disconnect during winter must give an additional 10-day notice (total 24-day notice during winter). Special Reconnect Order (SRO) from PUCO: October 13–April 15 each year, residential customers of regulated utilities can maintain or reconnect service by paying $175, regardless of total outstanding balance. Not a blanket prohibition on disconnection — requires additional notice and enables the $175 SRO reconnection path.

Major Utilities

AEP Ohio AES Ohio FirstEnergy Ohio …Duke Energy Ohio

AEP Ohio

Central, southern and eastern Ohio including Columbus; Ohio Power Company / Columbus Southern Power, a unit of American Electric Power

14-day notice

During the winter season (November 1 through April 15) AEP Ohio mails an additional 10-day disconnect notice before service may be shut off

Service is not shut off for unpaid bills if a physician certifies that denial of service would be especially dangerous to a household member's health, limited to three 30-day medical certifications in a 12-month period

Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06 lets a PUCO-regulated utility disconnect only 'after at least fourteen days' notice', and the notice may appear on the monthly bill

Shutoffs happen only between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m

Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m

Friday

Restoration requires all past-due amounts plus a PUCO-approved reconnection fee, and a security deposit may be required

no reconnections for nonpayment after 8 p.m

April 15 through October 31, or after 6 p.m

November 1 through April 14

Assistance Programs

PIPP Plus and Graduate PIPP Plus (percentage-of-income payment plans); HEAP; PUCO Special Reconnect Order ($175 once per heating season, October 13 through April 15)

"Ohio Admin. Code 4901:1-18-06, Disconnection procedures for electric, gas, and natural gas utilities." codes.ohio.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

AES Ohio

Dayton and the Miami Valley, west-central Ohio; formerly Dayton Power & Light

14-day notice

A medical certification signed by a licensed physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse practitioner or certified nurse-midwife defers disconnection

Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06 requires at least fourteen days' notice before disconnection, with an additional 10-day notice between November 1 and April 15

AES Ohio states that to restore service after a nonpayment disconnection 'customers must pay the past-due amount or meet any previous payment agreement' and that 'reconnections at the service line require payment of a reconnection fee before restoration'

a security deposit or guarantor may also be required

For customers with AMI smart meters service is restored within 30 minutes of payment, 24/7

Where a physical reconnection is needed, pay in full by 3:00 p.m. for same-day restoration

later payments may be scheduled for the next business day

Assistance Programs

PIPP Plus; HEAP Winter Crisis Program (for customers facing or already in disconnection); Gift of Power via The Salvation Army (937-528-5120); PUCO Special Reconnect Order ($175 once per heating season)

"Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06." codes.ohio.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

FirstEnergy Ohio (Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating, Toledo Edison)

Northern and northeastern Ohio including Cleveland, Akron and Toledo; three FirstEnergy operating companies sharing one Ohio customer-rights booklet

14-day notice

FirstEnergy states you 'will be notified of an impending disconnection prior to shutoff except in cases involving meter tampering or when safety is an issue.' A Medical Certification Form completed by an appropriate health care professional delays disconnection for overdue bills up to 30 days

Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06 requires at least fourteen days' notice before disconnection, plus an additional 10-day notice between November 1 and April 15

Third Party Notification lets a family member or friend be notified before shutoff without becoming liable for the balance

Reconnection charges are set by Tariff No

53, Miscellaneous Charges, on file with the PUCO, and differ by operating company

Assistance Programs

PIPP Plus for households at or below 175% of the federal poverty level; HEAP Winter Crisis Program; Third Party Notification; PUCO Special Reconnect Order ($175 once per heating season)

"Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06." codes.ohio.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Duke Energy Ohio

Greater Cincinnati and southwestern Ohio; bills both electric and natural gas service

14-day notice

Duke Energy's Ohio medical certification 'will prevent disconnection of service for 30 days or restore services if the certificate is provided within 21 days of the disconnection of service.' Each household may use three medical certifications in a 12-month period, the signed form must be returned within seven days of the request, and customers who use it must enter an extended payment plan

Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06 requires at least fourteen days' notice before disconnection, plus an additional 10-day notice between November 1 and April 15

Postponing disconnection does not reduce the amount owed

Assistance Programs

Medical Certification with extended payment plan; PIPP Plus; HEAP; PUCO Special Reconnect Order ($175 once per heating season)

"Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06." codes.ohio.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Gas Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice required14 days

Reconnection fee$52 to $76 standard, at 2 of 3 utilities below

Major Utilities

Enbridge Gas Ohio Columbia Gas of O…Duke Energy Ohio …

Enbridge Gas Ohio

Northeast and east-central Ohio including Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown; formerly Dominion Energy Ohio / The East Ohio Gas Company

17-day notice

During the winter heating season (typically November 1 through April 15) the company gives a 10-day notice beyond the payment due date before shutting off

A medical certification delays termination for 30 days and can restore service if received within 21 days of disconnection, with three per household per 12 months

Before shutting off service for nonpayment Enbridge Gas Ohio includes a disconnection notice on the bill 'which provides you 17 days to make the required payment' — longer than the 14-day floor in Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06

Reconnection costs $76 plus applicable taxes, alongside past-due amounts and any security deposit, which is billed in three equal monthly installments

Accounts off for 10 business days or less are restored the same day with proof of payment notified by 12:30 p.m., otherwise by 11:59 p.m. the next business day

accounts off longer than 10 business days may wait up to three days for an appointment

Reconnection fee:$76 plus applicable taxes

Assistance Programs

PUCO Special Reconnect Order ($175 once per heating season) with automatic enrollment in the One-Ninth Payment Plan; PIPP Plus; HEAP; EnergyShare administered by The Salvation Army

"Your Rights & Obligations as an Enbridge Gas Ohio Customer (2026)." enbridgegas.com. Retrieved 20 Sep 2026.

Columbia Gas of Ohio

About 1.4 million customers across central, western and southern Ohio including Columbus; a NiSource company

14-day notice

A Medical Certificate delays shutoff 30 days

initial certification may be made by telephone if written notice follows within seven days, the form must be received within 21 days of shutoff to restore service, and it may be used no more than three times in a 12-month period

Columbia Gas 'may disconnect service after providing you with a 14-day written notice which normally will appear on your monthly bill,' and the notice must explain payment options

If you dispute the bill you may ask for a company review and then contact the PUCO

Shutoff is avoided if the past-due amount or proof of payment reaches the company by 10 p.m. the day before the scheduled shutoff date

Restoration after a nonpayment shutoff requires the full past-due balance, a $52 reconnection fee, and a security deposit if one is not already held

Reconnection fee:$52

Assistance Programs

HEAP; PIPP Plus (pay 5% of monthly household income, minimum $10, enrolled through a local Community Action Agency); WarmChoice weatherization; HeatShare fuel fund of last resort; PUCO Special Reconnect Order ($175, October 13 through April 15)

"Know Your Rights & Responsibilities — Columbia Gas of Ohio." columbiagasohio.com. Retrieved 20 Sep 2026.

Duke Energy Ohio Gas

Natural gas service in Greater Cincinnati and southwestern Ohio; same company that bills electric service in the region

14-day notice

Duke Energy's medical certification 'allows a customer who falls behind on bill payments due to family health problems to temporarily avoid disconnection of natural gas and/or electric service' and 'will prevent disconnection of service for 30 days or restore services if the certificate is provided within 21 days of the disconnection of service.' Three certifications are allowed per household per 12 months, the signed form must be returned within seven days, and use of it requires entering an extended payment plan

Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06 requires at least fourteen days' notice before disconnection of gas service, plus an additional 10-day notice between November 1 and April 15

Assistance Programs

Medical Certification with extended payment plan; PIPP Plus; HEAP; PUCO Special Reconnect Order ($175 once per heating season)

"Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-18-06." codes.ohio.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Water Shutoff Rules

Regulatory notice requiredNot regulated / varies

Major Utilities

Cleveland Water Aqua Ohio Ohio American Wat…Columbus Division…

Cleveland Water

City of Cleveland and roughly 70 suburban communities; about 1.4 million people. Municipal system — not PUCO-regulated

Cleveland Water sends a Final Notice stating that 'water service to this property will be terminated as a result of non-payment' and that service will be terminated 'on or after' a printed date

no fixed statewide advance-notice period applies because municipal systems are outside PUCO jurisdiction

Once disconnected, 'the entire amount owed will be due, including the current balance, before we can restore your service.' A property owner, or a resident with an approved Cleveland Water Tenant Agreement, who disputes a scheduled termination may request a hearing before the Water Review Board by written request submitted within ten days of receiving the notice

hearings cannot be requested by telephone

A tenant whose landlord has not paid can sign a Tenant Agreement to take over future bills and avoid disconnection, though a deposit may be required

Assistance Programs

Homestead discount — a lower fixed charge and consumption rate worth about 50% for an average customer, for customers 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled who own and live at the service address and meet income guidelines; payment schedules via the Customer Service Call Center at 216-664-3130

"Final Notice (sample) — City of Cleveland Division of Water." clevelandwater.com. Retrieved 20 Sep 2026.

Aqua Ohio

About 500,000 people across Ohio including the Struthers, Massillon, Ashtabula, Lake Erie and Marion systems; investor-owned and PUCO-regulated

14-day notice

A Medical Certificate — written confirmation from a physician or nurse practitioner that a resident has a condition that would be aggravated by a shutoff — 'gives the customer 30 days to pay the bill or to make payment arrangements' once received

Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-15-27(B)(3)(a) governs PUCO-regulated water companies and requires 'not less than fourteen days written notice before service is disconnected' for nonpayment, and provides that disconnection 'may not occur prior to fourteen days after the due date'

Aqua Ohio is regulated by the PUCO, and its disconnection practice and reconnect charges are set in a tariff filed with the commission rather than published on its customer pages

LIHWAP grants are paid directly to Aqua and can restore service that was previously disconnected as well as keep active service on

Assistance Programs

Medical Certificate (30 days to pay or arrange); LIHWAP (Low Income Household Water Assistance Program) paid directly to Aqua and usable to restore disconnected service; payment arrangements

"Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-15-27." codes.ohio.gov. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Ohio American Water

Multiple Ohio communities statewide (investor-owned, PUCO-regulated).

14-day notice

Medical exemptions available for serious health conditions

14-day advance written notice required under OAC 4901:1-15-27 before disconnection for nonpayment

On the day of disconnection, personal notice must be provided to the customer or an adult resident

if no one is home, written notice must be posted conspicuously

Between April 1–November 30, service must be restored within 3 days of payment

Between December 1–March 31, service must be restored within 24 hours of payment

Reconnection fee:Specific reconnection fee in PUCO-filed tariff (not publicly extracted). Ohio water utilities generally charge $15–$60 per OAC 4901:1-15-34.

Assistance Programs

H2O Help to Others program (American Water customer assistance, amounts based on case-by-case need; grants cannot cover security deposits or reconnection fees); LIHWAP (Low Income Household Water Assistance Program — federal program, up to $2,500; ≤175% FPG; funding exhausted as of early 2024 but may be re-appropriated); Payment arrangements available; 866-430-0820; energyhelp.ohio.gov.

"Energy Disconnection and Reconnection | Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel." occ.ohio.gov. Retrieved 19 May 2026.

Columbus Division of Water

City of Columbus and portions of Franklin County; Columbus metro area.

Columbus Division of Water is a municipal utility, outside PUCO jurisdiction, so the state's 14-day water rule (OAC 4901:1-15-27) is not binding on it

Termination procedure is governed by Columbus City Code Section 1101.03, which this pass could not retrieve (municode.com is a client-rendered shell with no readable text, and columbus-oh.elaws.us did not respond from this environment), so the specific advance-notice period for Columbus itself is not confirmed and is left null rather than borrowed from the state rule

Service is typically restored within 1 business day after full payment of past-due balance and reconnection fee

Confirmed charges from the city's own fee schedule: $20.00 service charge for a trip to discontinue or turn on water service for nonpayment, and $40.00 to relocate, disconnect, or reconnect the metering system (plus actual cost of that work)

Reconnection fee:$20.00 service charge for trip to turn on water service after shutoff for nonpayment; separate $40.00 charge to relocate, disconnect, or reconnect the metering system, plus actual cost if metering system work is required.

Assistance Programs

Columbus Division of Water payment arrangements available (call 614-645-8276, Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–6 p.m.); LIHWAP (federal, up to $2,500 per water provider; ≤175% FPG; unfunded pending reappropriation); Ohio Utility Assistance Program via Dollar Energy Fund; energyhelp.ohio.gov.

"Special Water Charges — City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities." web.archive.org. Retrieved 21 Sep 2026.

Medical & Vulnerable Household Exemptions

Medical certificate delays disconnection. Ohio utilities must maintain medical baseline customer lists and provide enhanced protections for life-support dependent customers.

Low-Income Protections

LIHEAP / Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) available through Ohio DCFS. Ohio PIPP Plus (Percentage of Income Payment Plan) provides bill discounts for income-qualified customers — one of the oldest and most established PIPP programs in the US. AEP, FirstEnergy, and Columbia Gas offer low-income programs.

Your State Regulator

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

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