A Memphis resident who is 60 or older can keep gas, electric and water service on from Dec. 1 through March 1 by enrolling in Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s winter moratorium. The utility’s program page says enrolled customers get uninterrupted service during the coldest months of the year. Customers with a disability also qualify, and the account must be in the applicant’s own name.
The question for older Memphis households is whether the application has been filed and whether the account is in good enough shape to be accepted. The program does not erase what a customer owes, and re-enrollment depends on how much is past due on Nov. 30. Anyone 60 or older who has fallen behind on a utility bill this fall should find out where the account stands before the Dec. 1 start.
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Who can sign up for the winter moratorium?
MLGW says the program covers elderly and disabled customers, and it defines elderly as 60 or older. The applicant must be the customer of record, which means the name on the bill must be the applicant’s. A household where the bill is in a late spouse’s name or an adult child’s name does not meet that test until the account is changed.
The utility’s most recent news release, dated Nov. 3, 2025, said there were no income restrictions. Proof is required: applicants 60 and older send a copy of a driver’s license, birth certificate or other legal ID, and applicants with a disability send the proper certification, which the release says can be a doctor’s certification or a letter from the Social Security Administration.
What does “keep service” leave unpaid?
The moratorium holds off disconnection, but the utility is clear that the bills still count. MLGW’s page says customers “are not relieved of their obligation to pay.” In its 2025 announcement, the utility said participants remain responsible for paying their utility bills during the program.
When the protection ends, balances come due. The 2025 release said accrued balances are repaid through payment plans set up in March, and the current program page says a customer with a balance at the end of the program may ask for an extended payment plan of up to three months.
A household that uses the program should therefore plan on a March bill that includes whatever went unpaid in December, January and February.
Does a past-due balance keep a customer out?
For customers who were approved before, enrollment renews each year without a new application, but only if the past-due balance is below what MLGW calls the “Minimum Threshold” on Nov. 30. The program page does not give a dollar amount for this year. MLGW’s 2025 release set the 2025 limit at a past-due balance no higher than $199.99 at close of business on Nov. 30.
That date makes November the month to act. A customer who is close to the line can pay down the past-due amount before the end of the month, and a customer who cannot should still ask MLGW about the application, since the program page lists payment arrangements for balances that remain.
Where do the applications go?
The form is on the program page and can be mailed to MLGW’s Credit Operations office at PO Box 430, Memphis, TN 38101-0430. Paper applications are also available at the Aging Commission, Meritan, MIFA and MLGW’s community offices, or by calling 544-6549.
The program page lists no application deadline for the current season. Last year’s release set Nov. 30, 2025 as the date applications had to be received, said later applications went into the next year’s program, and encouraged elderly and disabled customers to apply by Nov. 15. A customer who wants protection from Dec. 1 should assume the same calendar and mail the form well before then.
Is the Memphis account in shape for the Nov. 30 balance line?
The moratorium is a yearly routine: file the application, keep the account below the balance line on Nov. 30, then plan for the March payment. Heating help from other programs runs on its own calendar, and each one has forms and dates of its own.
“The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit” is a 64-page guide for older homeowners and renters that includes an application log and renewal calendar, so each program’s filing date and renewal date sit in one place. It also covers heating, cooling and home-repair help, with Part 5 given to utilities and home costs.
Get the application log and renewal calendar in the Home-Cost Relief Kit →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
