Indiana Utilities Can’t Shut Off Gas or Electric Service From Dec. 1 to March 15 for Households That Apply for Energy Assistance
Filing a single energy assistance application before Dec. 1 can keep the gas and electricity on in an Indiana home through mid-March. Under state law, from Dec. 1 through March 15, regulated utilities cannot disconnect residential gas or electric service to eligible households that have applied for the Energy Assistance Program, according to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
The protection starts once the application is submitted, not when it is approved. Applications for the 2027 program year opened Oct. 1 and stay open until April 30, 2027, and a family of four can earn up to $64,533 a year and still qualify.
A shutoff shield tied to the application
The rule comes from Indiana Code 8-1-2-121. IHCDA, the state agency that runs the federally funded program, says the moratorium protects households that have applied, and it tells applicants to let their utility know if they are scheduled for disconnection.
The state’s utility consumer watchdog describes the rule the same way. According to the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor’s guide to disconnections, a gas or electric utility may not disconnect a customer’s service between Dec. 1 and March 15 if the customer qualifies and has applied for the Energy Assistance Program, regardless of whether benefits are received.
The protection is limited to gas and electric service. The OUCC notes that the state’s disconnection rules don’t reach phone, internet or cable service, and the moratorium language covers only gas and electric utilities, so propane and fuel oil deliveries fall outside it. Households that heat with those fuels have to rely on the program’s crisis help instead, covered below.
Timing matters. IHCDA’s guide for participating utilities says that before Dec. 1, a utility may still disconnect a qualified customer with a past-due bill under its usual policies. Households that apply and have active service on Dec. 1 cannot be disconnected until March 15, and the guide says utilities can’t shut off a protected household’s electric or heating service over a past-due water or wastewater balance.
The bill doesn’t go away
The moratorium pauses disconnections. It does not erase what a household owes.
The OUCC says protected customers remain responsible for their charges. A utility may also hold off on disconnecting a customer who sets up a payment arrangement, which the watchdog describes as paying part of the bill (the lesser of $25 or 10% for gas, or $10 or 10% for electric), settling the rest within three months, and paying new charges on time.
That spring cliff is real. Once March 15 passes, the protection ends, and any balance that built up over the winter comes due under the utility’s normal collection rules.
The program itself pays only part of the cost. According to IHCDA, EAP is a one-time annual benefit sent directly to the utility, and it will not cover all heating and electric costs. The agency says benefits depend on federal funding.
Who qualifies this winter
Indiana sets its cutoff at 60% of state median income, and it looks at the household’s most recent three months of income. IHCDA lists these yearly limits for program year 2027:
- 1 person: $33,556
- 2 people: $43,882
- 3 people: $54,207
- 4 people: $64,533
- 5 people: $74,857
- 6 people: $85,183
- 7 people: $87,119
- 8 people: $89,055
The agency’s table continues to $90,991 for nine people and $92,927 for ten. Because the test uses three months of income, a household whose earnings dropped recently may qualify even if last year’s income was higher.
Indiana’s new summer protections work differently. WVXU reported in June that HB 1002, passed this year, blocks electric shutoffs within 48 hours of a National Weather Service forecast of a heat index of at least 95 degrees, but only for customers who have been approved for the program, not merely applied.
How to apply and what to bring
IHCDA says households can apply online through the state’s LITT portal, or by mail or in person through their Local Service Provider, which can also offer a paper application or a phone appointment. IHCDA also points people to 211 for other local help, and the OUCC takes consumer questions at 1-800-382-9895.
The paperwork is specific. The program year 2027 application packet from IndyEAP, the Marion County provider run by John Boner Neighborhood Centers, asks for:
- Income records for every household member 18 or older from the past three months, such as pay stubs or a Social Security or VA award letter
- Current, complete electric, heating and water bills
- A recent delivery receipt for households that heat with bulk fuel
- A landlord affidavit if utilities are included in the rent
- A signed and dated certification
The packet warns that failing to sign and date the certification will invalidate the application. IHCDA says providers have 55 days to decide eligibility, and direct-pay benefits can take up to 120 days to process, which is one more reason to file before the moratorium begins.
If a shutoff notice is already on the counter
Households facing disconnection before Dec. 1, or running out of propane or oil, don’t have to wait. IHCDA says that for a heating crisis, such as a disconnection notice or fuel at or below 25% of a tank, the local provider must take action within 48 hours. For a life-threatening crisis, such as a documented medical need with a safety concern, the provider must act within 18 hours.
IndyEAP’s packet tells Marion County residents who are disconnected, scheduled for disconnection, or very low on fuel to contact the provider directly at (317) 808-2378.
Neighboring states are rolling out their own winter help. The site has covered Illinois opening its utility bill program on Nov. 1 and Iowa’s moratorium, which starts the same day as its LIHEAP rollout.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Tony Webster – CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
