Utilities can be shut off in Missouri, but only outside the state’s cold and hot weather protection windows, only after the company sends proper written notice, and never on a day the utility’s business office is closed. Between November 1 and March 31, gas and electric providers cannot disconnect heat-related service on any day the National Weather Service forecasts temperatures below 32°F within 24 hours, and they cannot disconnect at all if you enter a cold weather payment plan. In summer, electric service is protected when the heat index is forecast to reach 95°F or higher. At any other time, a utility can disconnect for nonpayment once the notice period has run.
Winter Shut-Offs Between November 1 and March 31
Missouri’s Cold Weather Rule blocks gas and electric shut-offs on any day the National Weather Service local forecast, issued between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., predicts the temperature will drop below 32°F within the next 24 hours.1Cornell Law School. Missouri Code 20 CSR 4240-13.055 – Cold Weather Maintenance of Service The rule only covers the utility that supplies your primary heat source.
The bigger protection is the payment plan. From November 1 through March 31, the utility cannot disconnect heat-related service for nonpayment at all if you contact the company, tell them you can’t pay in full, provide income information if asked, and enter a cold weather payment agreement.1Cornell Law School. Missouri Code 20 CSR 4240-13.055 – Cold Weather Maintenance of Service If your service was already off before November 1, the utility must reconnect you without a deposit once you sign a plan and make the initial payment.
The initial payment is capped at 12% of the 12-month budget bill amount for customers who haven’t previously defaulted on a cold weather plan. Default once, and the initial payment jumps to 80% of the outstanding balance unless you and the utility negotiate something different.1Cornell Law School. Missouri Code 20 CSR 4240-13.055 – Cold Weather Maintenance of Service Ongoing payments must be at least 50% of the lesser of your actual bill for the billing period or the levelized amount in the plan. Miss a payment and you can lose the protection.
For natural gas customers specifically, service is restored on payment of the lesser of 50% of pre-existing arrears or $500, with the rest folded into the plan. Gas utilities must also defer reconnection fees, trip fees, and collection fees into the payment plan rather than charging them upfront.2Missouri Secretary of State. 20 CSR 4240-13 – Service and Billing Practices for Residential Customers
Summer Shut-Offs and the Heat Index
When the National Weather Service forecasts a heat index of 95°F or higher, electric providers cannot shut off residential service for nonpayment. These protections generally apply between June 1 and September 30. The rule is written around electricity because air conditioning is the main defense against heat illness.
Summer protection is a pause, not a reset. Once the forecast heat index drops back below 95°F and stays there, the utility can move ahead with disconnection if the balance is still unpaid. If you’re relying on the heat rule to stay connected, use that window to line up energy assistance or a payment arrangement.
The Written Notice That Must Come First
Season aside, a Missouri utility cannot disconnect residential service without first sending written notice by first-class mail at least 10 days before the shut-off date. As an alternative, the utility can hand-deliver the written notice at least 96 hours before disconnection.3Legal Information Institute. Missouri Code 20 CSR 4240-13.050 – Discontinuance of Service You get one delivery method, not both.
The notice has to spell out five things: the reason for disconnection, the specific date on or after which service will be shut off, what you can do to prevent it, that a payment plan is available if you can’t pay in full, and a toll-free phone number and address for questions.3Legal Information Institute. Missouri Code 20 CSR 4240-13.050 – Discontinuance of Service A notice missing any of those elements may not satisfy the legal requirements, and it’s worth flagging to the utility and the Public Service Commission if you receive one.
Days a Utility Cannot Cut Service
Missouri regulations also restrict which days of the week a shut-off can actually happen. Utilities cannot disconnect on any day their business office is closed, which rules out weekends and state-recognized holidays. They also cannot disconnect on the day immediately before a closure. That means no Friday shut-offs when the office is closed Saturday and Sunday. The purpose is to make sure you can reach someone to pay or arrange reconnection rather than sitting without service for days.
Medical Postponement of Up to 21 Days
If someone in your household has a medical condition that would be made worse by losing utility service, you can request a postponement of disconnection for up to 21 days. If the utility asks, you have to provide reasonable evidence of the necessity, such as a note from a medical professional.2Missouri Secretary of State. 20 CSR 4240-13 – Service and Billing Practices for Residential Customers The protection covers the customer, family members, and anyone else who permanently lives at the address.
The 21 days do not reduce or forgive the amount you owe. Once the window closes, if the account still hasn’t been resolved, the utility can proceed with disconnection.
A Bankruptcy Filing Buys You a Separate Pause
Filing for bankruptcy triggers a federal protection that runs alongside Missouri’s rules. Under 11 U.S.C. § 366, a utility cannot shut off, refuse, or alter your service solely because you filed for bankruptcy or because you owe for pre-filing service.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 366 – Utility Service The pause lasts at least 20 days from the date of the order for relief.
Within that 20-day window, you have to give the utility adequate assurance of future payment. That can be a cash deposit, a letter of credit, a prepayment, or another arrangement.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 11 USC 366 – Utility Service Miss the deadline and the utility can disconnect. Chapter 11 cases get a 30-day window for the utility to evaluate whether the assurance is satisfactory. If you and the utility disagree about the deposit amount, the bankruptcy court can set a reasonable figure.
Which Providers These Rules Apply To
These protections come from the Missouri Public Service Commission, which regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, water, and sewer utilities. They do not cover municipal utility systems or rural electric cooperatives, though many of those adopt similar policies on their own. If you’re not sure whether your provider is regulated, check your bill and call the PSC’s Consumer Services Unit at 1-800-392-4211.5Missouri Public Service Commission. Submit A Complaint
If Your Utility Cuts Service Anyway
Contact the company first and give them a chance to fix it. If that doesn’t work, file an informal complaint with the PSC’s Consumer Services Unit by phone at 1-800-392-4211, by email at pscinfo@psc.mo.gov, or through the complaint form on the PSC website.5Missouri Public Service Commission. Submit A Complaint If the informal process doesn’t resolve it, you can escalate to a formal complaint, which the PSC handles more like a legal proceeding. Once the reason for disconnection is resolved and required payments are in place, the utility must make a reasonable effort to restore service the same day you ask, and no later than the next working day.2Missouri Secretary of State. 20 CSR 4240-13 – Service and Billing Practices for Residential Customers