Under Maine law, an electric utility cannot cut off a home between November 15 and April 15 without advance permission from state regulators. Specifically, the permission has to come from the consumer assistance and safety division of the Maine Public Utilities Commission. A utility that breaks the winter rules faces a penalty of up to $2,500, payable to the customer.
The rule is in Title 35-A, section 718 of Maine’s statutes, titled “Winter terminations.” It was enacted in 2021 and is in effect now. The protected period opens on November 15, about four weeks from today.
For a Maine household with a past-due electric bill, the first question is whether the account is covered. The law applies to a “transmission and distribution utility” and its residential customers, which means any account that gets electric service for residential purposes, even if some of the power is also used for business. The text covers electric service only. It does not mention gas or heating oil.
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What the winter rule requires
The statute defines the “disconnection prohibition period” as any time between November 15 and April 15. It also covers any other period the commission sets by rule when disconnections are barred, or barred without permission from the division.
During that period, the law says a disconnection “cannot take place without the advance permission of the consumer assistance and safety division.” The statute does not list the standards the division uses to decide whether to grant permission. A shutoff in the winter window therefore starts with a request to the state, not with a decision by the utility.
Limits on shutoff notices
The same section restricts what a utility may send. During the protected period it may not send an oral, paper or electronic notice that sets a disconnection date or interval inside the period, unless the division has already given permission.
A notice that mentions disconnection at all must carry a prominent statement. It has to say that disconnection cannot happen without the division’s advance permission, that the customer will be told if permission is requested, and that the customer may be heard by the division. In practice, that gives a household five months, from mid-November to mid-April, in which a bill cannot turn into a surprise shutoff..
The $2,500 penalty goes to the customer
A utility that violates the section faces a civil penalty “not to exceed $2,500, payable to the customer to whom the prohibited communication is sent.” The customer can recover it in a civil action, in addition to any other remedies the law provides.
That payment goes to the household, not the state. The statute sets the ceiling, not a flat amount, and it does not say how a court would decide a particular figure. It ties the penalty to the prohibited communication, which is the notice described above.
Notices can open the door to emergency aid
One more detail matters for a household that is behind. Under the statute, a permitted notice counts as a disconnection notice for emergency assistance programs. The law names emergency general assistance, which falls under Title 22, and fuel assistance, which falls under Title 30-A.
The statute itself contains no payment-arrangement rules and no medical-certificate provisions. Those would come from other rules, and the law does not describe them. Customers who need a plan can ask their utility directly.
What Central Maine Power told customers
The utility has described the rule in plain terms. In its March 2025 release, Central Maine Power said that “Maine law prohibits residential disconnections from taking place during the winter period (November 15 through April 15),” and that its protections for residential customers would end on April 15, 2025.
The company also said past-due customers get several notices before any disconnection, including written notices and reminder calls, which the Maine PUC requires. The statute itself says disconnection needs the division’s advance permission during that period.
Help with the bill itself
The winter rule delays a shutoff. It does not erase the balance. In a March 2025 release, Central Maine Power listed programs for past-due customers. They include the Home Energy Assistance Program, a federal grant for heating costs, and the Electricity Lifeline Program, which it said could provide up to $1,200 toward an electric bill.
CMP also described an Arrearage Management Program that reduces past-due balances by up to $500 a month for customers enrolled in either program as they keep current on new bills. The company said customers could set up payment arrangements by calling 800-686-4044 or 211 Maine. Details may have changed since the 2025 release, so the numbers should be confirmed.
CMP’s release also lists 211 Maine as a contact. People can dial 211, call 207-874-2211, or text a Maine ZIP code to 898-211. The company’s own customer line, 800-686-4044, is the place to ask what is owed and what arrangements are open.
Does the winter shutoff rule cover your Maine electric account?
The protection is a delay with conditions, and the unpaid balance is still due when April 15 passes. A household that does not apply for bill help before then can enter spring owing a winter’s worth of charges.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit points to heating, cooling and home-repair help for older homeowners and explains how to claim each program. Its application log and renewal calendar keep each program’s yearly dates in one place, and Part 5 covers utilities and home costs.
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This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
