Wisconsin winter moratorium on utility disconnections ends April 15
MADISON, Wis. - If you have outstanding gas and/or electric bills in Wisconsin, you need to make arrangements with your utility provider, otherwise your utilities may be turned off.
Winter moratorium ending
What we know:
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) and the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) encourage electric and natural gas utility customers with outstanding bills to make payment arrangements with their provider or apply for financial assistance before the moratorium on utility disconnections ends.
The annual winter moratorium from Nov 1 to April 15 prohibits all utility providers from disconnecting residential heating services for nonpayment. Customers who are behind on their bills may be at risk of disconnection if payment arrangements are not made by April 15, 2025.
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What they're saying:
"As the winter moratorium on utility disconnections comes to an end, support remains available for Wisconsin families needing assistance," said PSC Chairperson Summer Strand. "Customers should first contact their utility provider to make a payment plan by April 15. If customers cannot reach an agreement with their utility, the PSC’s Consumer Affairs team is available to assist with payment plan negotiation."
What you can do:
The PSC says that customers who are having difficulty paying their energy bills may be eligible for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP). WHEAP is part of the state’s comprehensive Home Energy Plus program, which provides assistance to low-income households for emergency energy needs, emergency furnace repairs, conservation services, and weatherization.
Last fiscal year, about 190,000 Wisconsin households received nearly $127 million to assist with monthly utility expenses. So far this fiscal year, nearly 155,000 households have received $89 million, and WHEAP assistance remains available.
"WHEAP is a critical program that has helped thousands of eligible Wisconsin families keep their heat and lights on," said DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld. "We don’t yet know what the impact of federal cuts for these critical programs will look like, but in the meantime, crisis assistance is still available for Wisconsin residents. We will continue to do all we can at the state level in partnership with the Public Service Commission and others to ensure that disconnection is the last resort for any household behind on utility bills."
To learn more about financial assistance through WHEAP or to apply, customers can visit energybenefit.wi.gov or call the statewide customer care center at 1-800-506-5596.
To avoid disconnection, customers who have fallen behind on payments are encouraged to contact their utility to set up a payment plan.
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Listed below is the contact information for the largest utilities in Wisconsin:
- Alliant Energy: 1-800-255-4268
- Madison Gas & Electric: 1-800-245-1125
- Superior Water, Light & Power: 1-800-227-7957
- We Energies: 1-800-842-4565
- Wisconsin Public Service Corporation: 1-800-450-7260
- Xcel Energy: 1-800-895-4999
Utilities are required to offer deferred payment agreements to residential customers who cannot pay an outstanding bill in full. Municipal utilities are not required to offer payment agreements to tenants, but many still do so.
If customers cannot reach a payment agreement with their utility, they may contact the PSC by calling 1-800-225-7729, or by filing a complaint on the PSC website.
For more information about utility disconnections and collections, see the Utility Customer Bill of Rights.
The Source: The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) sent FOX6 a press release.