The temperatures have dropped, a fact many will soon see reflected in their utility bill.
But people who are at risk of having their utilities shut off do have some protections under state law. The state Attorney General's Office released a consumer alert Tuesday explaining some of them.
The alert said that New Yorkers have a legal right to heat and hot water during the defined cold weather period of Nov. 1 to April 15. During that time:
- Utilities providers are required to make extra efforts to reach out to households before a heat-related shutoff occurs.
- Utilities must wait at least 35 days after a bill payment is due before pursuing termination of service and must provide a shutoff notice at least 15 days before doing so.
- Utilities are not allowed to shut off service to residential customers during the two weeks including Christmas and New Year's Day.
- Utilities cannot shut off service to a household where someone is experiencing a serious impairment to their health, such as a serious illness, physical disability, and recent death of a family member, among other conditions. They also cannot shut off service if there are children in the home.
Anyone who believes their service was improperly shut off can file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office online or by calling (800) 771-7755.
