Wisconsin utilities cannot disconnect residential customers for nonpayment when the service is used for home heating between Nov. 1 and April 15, the state’s Public Service Commission says, and this year’s moratorium began Sunday. Georgia has a winter hold of its own, with a condition attached. From Nov. 15 to March 15, the Georgia Public Service Commission says, an electric utility cannot cut off a residential customer when the local forecast is below 32 degrees for a 24-hour period, and the customer must agree in writing to a payment plan.
The two states take different routes to the same result. Wisconsin’s ban is automatic for anyone whose service heats the home, while Georgia ties its protection to a written promise to pay. In both states, the unpaid balance does not go away, and a customer who is already behind is dealing with a bill that is still owed once the winter hold ends.
That makes the question for anyone behind on a heating or electric bill one of paperwork and dates. In Wisconsin, the protection is already in force, and the commission urged customers to seek help before the moratorium began. In Georgia, the hold starts Nov. 15, nine days from now, and the commission’s page says the written agreement comes with specific installment terms that need to be read before signing.
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What does Wisconsin’s moratorium cover?
The commission says the moratorium runs every year from Nov. 1 to April 15, and the 2026 season started Nov. 1. During that stretch, utilities are prohibited from disconnecting essential services to residential customers for nonpayment when the service is used for home heating.
Customers who were already disconnected are in a different position. The commission says those customers must arrange payment to restore service, and utilities do not have to reconnect until a payment arrangement is made. The moratorium keeps service on for people who still have it; it does not guarantee a reconnection without a payment plan.
The commission’s release lists utility phone numbers for customers who need to set up an arrangement:
- 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
The commission itself can be reached at 608-266-2001 or 1-800-225-7729, and it takes complaints through an online form.
What does Georgia require, and when does it start?
The Georgia commission’s page says a utility “shall not discontinue electrical service to a residential customer between November 15th and March 15th” if the forecasted local temperature is below 32 degrees for a 24-hour period beginning at 8 a.m. on the date of the proposed disconnection. The protection is tied to the forecast, so it applies day by day, not as a blanket winter ban.
The same paragraph sets what the customer must do. The consumer must agree in writing to pay the past-due balance, including customer charges, in equal installments, beginning with the first billing period after March 15 and ending before Oct. 15. The customer must also agree in writing to pay all bills for current service by the due date.
In practice, that means a customer who signs is taking on two obligations: the catch-up installments through the spring and summer, and on-time payment of every new bill. The commission has not said what happens after a missed installment, so anyone signing should ask the utility to spell that out. The commission’s consumer line is (800) 282-5813 or (404) 656-4501.
Does Georgia treat gas and electric the same way?
Not quite. For gas service, the commission’s page puts the same Nov. 15 to March 15 window on the hold, but the freezing forecast has to cover a 48-hour period starting at 8 a.m. on the disconnection date, instead of 24 hours. A household with both services faces two different forecast tests.
Georgia’s page also lists two protections that are not tied to the calendar of winter. Electric service cannot be disconnected when a National Weather Service Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning is in effect or forecast for the county before 8 a.m. on the scheduled date. And service cannot be cut off for nonpayment to a residential customer with a serious illness that disconnection would worsen, if the customer gives written notice and a physician’s or health provider’s statement within 10 days.
Where does Wisconsin heating help come from?
The moratorium delays shutoffs; it does not pay the bill. Wisconsin’s energy assistance program, listed at energybenefit.wi.gov, offers a regular benefit that is once a year, open Oct. 1 through May 15. The commission’s statewide customer care number for the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program is 1-866-HEATWIS (432-8947).
For a household behind on a heating bill, the order of steps in Wisconsin is straightforward: call the utility about a payment arrangement, apply for energy assistance, and keep the bill current going forward, since the moratorium ends April 15 and the unpaid balance remains.
Behind on the heating bill in Wisconsin or Georgia?
A winter hold only delays a shutoff, and the balance is still due when it ends. In Georgia, a customer who signs the written agreement is committing to installments that run until Oct. 15 on top of every new bill, and in Wisconsin the moratorium stops on April 15.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit covers heating, cooling and home-repair help, including help with heat and power bills, and it includes an application log and renewal calendar for keeping track of each program’s dates. It is a 64-page guide, with Part 5 devoted to utilities and home costs.
Get the heating-help guide and application log for winter shutoff season →
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.
