Shut-off rules

When can my electricity be shut off in Texas?

In Texas, your power can be cut for an unpaid bill only after at least 10 days' written notice. Texas rules also stop a shut-off over an unpaid bill on a freezing day or a heat advisory day.

Published 2 November 2026

Your provider is the company that sends your bill. Your local utility owns the poles and wires, and it does the shut-off when asked.

These rules cover homes that can choose their provider. Places with no choice have other rules. That includes Austin Energy, CPS Energy and electric co-ops, so ask your utility.

What has to happen before a shut-off?

Your provider can ask for a shut-off if you miss a bill or break a payment plan. An unpaid deposit is a reason too, under Texas rule 16 TAC §25.483.

First, it must send a disconnection notice by itself, not as part of a bill. It cannot send one until the day after your bill is due.

The date on the notice must be at least 10 days away. Your power can be cut only after that date, and the date cannot be a weekend or a holiday.

It also cannot ask for a shut-off on a weekend, a holiday or the day before one. The one exception is a provider whose staff work those days to take payments and get you reconnected.

Can my power be shut off in a freeze or heat wave?

Not for an unpaid bill. Texas rule 16 TAC §25.483 bans it on days of extreme weather in your county.

A freezing day counts when two things are true. Yesterday's high was 32°F or lower, and the forecast keeps it at or below that for 24 hours.

A cold morning alone is not enough. Yesterday had to stay freezing all day, and so does the forecast.

A heat advisory counts too. When the National Weather Service puts one out for your county, the ban lasts that day and the next two.

If a bill comes due in that weather, your provider must offer a payment plan if you ask.

What if someone at home needs power for medical care?

Ask your provider for the medical form, and have your doctor send it in. The form goes to your local utility, which adds your home to a list.

There are two lists. Critical care is for someone who needs a medical machine that runs on power to stay alive. Chronic condition is for a serious illness that needs such a machine, or needs electric heat or cooling.

On either list, you must get at least 21 days' written notice, not 10. The notice must also go to the emergency contact on your form, if you named one.

For critical care, your doctor can call your provider and send a note before the date on the notice. With a payment plan too, that holds off a shut-off. It lasts up to 63 days after the bill was sent.

Being on a list does not mean your power can never go off. You still owe your bills.

A listing also ends after two years at most, and your utility sends a new form before then.

What charges can never get my power shut off?

Your power cannot be cut over a bill left by the person who lived in your home before you. Nor can it be cut over a charge that is not for power, like a product you bought.

If you dispute a charge, the part you dispute is safe while it is checked. You still need to pay the part you agree with.

Did an old bill charge you too little? Your power cannot be cut over that if it goes back more than six months, unless power was stolen.

What can I do before the date on the notice?

Call your provider before that date and ask for a payment plan. The notice must tell you about payment plans and where to find help.

Our guide to getting help with a bill explains each one. Once the bill is under control, look at your plan too.

A plan with a lower estimated yearly cost can make bills easier to pay.

1. Count from the notice

   The date on it must be at least 10 days out, and never a weekend or holiday.

2. Tell them about medical needs

   A doctor's form gets you 21 days' notice instead of 10.

3. Call before the date

   Ask for a payment plan while you still have time.

Articles are general information for Texas electricity shoppers. Every cost Power Rate Check shows is an estimate, and the Electricity Facts Label is the provider's official price document — read it before you sign.