Stop Gas Disconnection: How to Keep Your Natural Gas On After a Shutoff Notice

Reading your shutoff notice

Gas companies cannot usually cut service without warning. State rules require written notice first, and the notice tells you how long you have. In Texas, for example, the Railroad Commission's customer service rule, 16 TAC §7.45, says a gas utility may disconnect only if a bill is still unpaid, with no deferred payment plan, five working days after it became delinquent, and only after a "termination notice" was mailed or hand delivered at least five working days before the disconnection date. The notice must give the date, where to pay, and a statement that you can contact the utility about a health or other emergency.

Other states set different timelines, but most notices include the same information. Before you call, find:

• The disconnection date and the exact amount needed to stop it (often less than the full balance).
• Your account number and the phone number for payment arrangements.
• Any mention of medical emergencies, winter rules, or assistance programs.
• The name of your state utility commission, which you can contact if you think the notice breaks the rules.

Check the notice is real. Scammers call and text people threatening to cut gas "within the hour" unless they pay by gift card or payment app. Real utilities send written notices and take payment through their own website, office, or authorized pay stations. If in doubt, hang up and call the number on your bill.

Ways to stop gas disconnection with your utility

Call the gas company as soon as you get the notice. Explain what changed, such as a job loss, illness, or a high winter bill, and ask what each of these options would cost you today:

• Payment arrangement: you pay part of the past-due amount now and spread the rest over several months on top of your regular bill. In Texas, 16 TAC §7.45 lists entering a deferred payment plan as a way to avoid disconnection.
• Extension: a short delay of the shutoff date while you wait for an assistance decision. Tell them if you have an application pending.
• Budget billing: an equal monthly amount based on your yearly use, so winter bills do not spike. It does not erase the past-due balance, but it can stop the next notice.
• Low-income discount or arrearage program: some states require gas companies to offer discounted rates or plans that forgive part of an old balance as you pay on time.

Write down the date, the representative's name, and what was agreed. Ask for written confirmation. If you agree to a plan, pick an amount you can truly pay; breaking a plan often leads to a new notice with less time.

LIHEAP crisis help and the 48-hour rule

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is the largest source of help with heating bills. Each state runs it, usually through community action agencies. Part of each state's money is set aside for energy crisis intervention, and a shutoff notice is the most common crisis.

The federal law at 42 U.S.C. 8623(c) sets two deadlines for that crisis program. Once an eligible household applies, the agency must provide some form of assistance that will resolve the energy crisis:

"Resolve the crisis" often means a payment pledge to the gas company that stops the shutoff, not a check to you. Tell the agency clearly that you have a disconnection notice or that service is already off, and bring the notice with you.

States may set LIHEAP income limits up to 150% of the federal poverty guideline or 60% of state median income. For the 2027 federal fiscal year, the LIHEAP Clearinghouse reported that about $3.6 billion in block grant funding was released to states on October 9, 2026, under a continuing resolution, so programs are funded for the start of this winter. Our LIHEAP guide explains how to apply, and Texans can read about the state's version in our Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program guide.

Medical certificates and serious illness

Most states let a doctor's note delay a shutoff when losing gas would make someone in the home seriously ill or worse. The rules are short and strict about timing, so ask the gas company exactly what form and deadline it uses. Two examples:

• Pennsylvania: under 52 Pa. Code §56.114, a medical certification stops termination for the period stated, up to 30 days, and it can be renewed. If you are not making payments on your bills, renewals for the same past-due balance are limited to two.
• Texas: under 16 TAC §7.45, a gas utility may not disconnect if a resident would become seriously ill, but you must send a written request and a licensed physician's statement within five working days after the bill becomes delinquent. The protection lasts 20 days, and you must sign an installment agreement.

A medical hold buys time; it does not cancel the bill. Use those days to apply for crisis aid and set up a payment plan.

Winter and cold-weather shutoff rules

Many states limit heating shutoffs in winter. Some use calendar dates, others use temperature, and most protect only households that meet income or hardship rules. These are examples from states we have checked; rules elsewhere differ, and the LIHEAP Clearinghouse keeps a state-by-state disconnection policy list.

You usually have to tell the gas company you qualify. In New Jersey, the Board of Public Utilities lists the programs that put you in the winter program. In Massachusetts, the Department of Public Utilities explains hardship protections on its consumer rights page. Pennsylvania's rule is in 52 Pa. Code §56.100, and the Texas freezing-weather rule is in 16 TAC §7.460.

When the protected period ends, the past-due balance is still there. The LIHEAP Clearinghouse notes that these rules do not reduce what you owe, so many shutoffs happen in spring. Use the winter months to get on a plan and apply for aid.

Hardship funds and charity help

Many gas companies run hardship funds paid for by customer and shareholder donations, often managed by the Salvation Army or a community action agency. They usually give a one-time grant toward a past-due bill, sometimes for people just above LIHEAP limits. Ask the gas company, "Do you have a hardship or customer assistance fund, and who takes applications?"

Other places to ask:

• 2-1-1: dial 211 for local gas bill help that is open now. Our 211 gas assistance guide explains what to ask for.
• Community action agencies: they run LIHEAP and often hold small emergency funds too.
• Charities and churches: the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and St. Vincent de Paul help with utility bills in many areas when funds allow.
• Veterans and seniors: some groups offer energy grants only for these households, so mention it when you call.

Most charities pay the gas company directly, need your notice and a recent bill, and help once a year or less.

When the gas company will not work with you

If the utility refuses a payment plan you think the rules require, ignores a medical certificate, or plans a shutoff during a protected period, contact your state utility commission before the disconnection date. Most commissions take complaints by phone or online, and many states bar shutoff of the disputed amount while an informal complaint is open. In Texas, complaints about gas utilities go to the Railroad Commission; in most other states, they go to the public utility or public service commission.

Keep your notes from every call. A clear record of dates, names, and promises makes complaints much faster to resolve.

What happens if the gas is already off?

A completed shutoff is still a crisis that LIHEAP must treat as urgent, so apply for crisis aid right away and tell the agency your service is off. Then expect some extra costs and steps to restore service:

• Past-due balance or agreed portion: many utilities restore service once you pay an agreed amount or an agency pledges payment.
• Reconnection fee: most gas companies charge one; the amount is in the utility's approved tariff.
• Deposit: some utilities ask for a deposit after a disconnection. In Texas, 16 TAC §7.45 caps a residential deposit at one-sixth of estimated annual billings and treats applicants 65 or older with no unpaid utility balance in the last two years as having established credit.
• Relighting: a technician must turn the meter on and relight pilot lights, so someone 18 or older usually needs to be home.

Texas rules also say a utility cannot refuse service because of a previous occupant's unpaid bill. Ask your gas company whether the same rule applies in your state.

Gas safety during a shutoff

Never turn the meter back on, remove a lock, or connect a bypass yourself. Besides the real fire and explosion risk, Texas rules let a utility disconnect without the usual protections for tampering with a meter or bypassing it, and tampering can bring theft charges. Other cautions:

• Do not heat your home with a gas oven or stove, a grill, or a generator indoors. These can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Use space heaters only if they are made for indoor use, keep them away from bedding and curtains, and plug them straight into the wall.
• If you smell gas, leave the building first, then call 911 or the gas company's emergency number from outside.
• If the cold is dangerous for someone in your home, tell the LIHEAP agency it is life-threatening; that triggers the 18-hour deadline.

A same-day plan, step by step

1. Find the date and amount on the shutoff notice, and confirm it is real by calling the number on your bill.
2. Call the gas company and ask for a payment arrangement, an extension while aid is pending, and any hardship fund.
3. Apply for LIHEAP crisis aid the same day through your local agency; bring the notice, ID, and proof of income.
4. Get a medical certificate if anyone in the home has a serious illness or medical equipment needs.
5. Check winter rules for your state and tell the gas company if you qualify.
6. Dial 211 for charities that help with gas bills.
7. Call the state commission if the company will not follow the rules.

Related guides

• Gas shut off assistance
• Catholic Charities gas bill assistance
• New Jersey utility relief programs
• Massachusetts utility relief programs

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Shutoff rules depend on your state and your utility. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with any utility or government agency.