Minnesota Cold Weather Rule

Annual Notice to All Residential Customers

Bills can pile up just like snow. But the Minnesota Cold Weather Rule is designed to protect people who may have trouble paying their utility bills in the winter. The Minnesota Cold Weather Rule applies from October 15 to April 15. The rule, established by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, means that your utility cannot disconnect your residential electric service during the winter if the customer meets the following requirement:

• Utility disconnection would affect the customer’s primary heat source;
• The customer has declared inability to pay on forms provided by the utility (Note: customers receiving "any form of public assistance", including energy assistance, are deemed to have qualified for inability to pay status);
• The household income of the customer is less than 50 percent of the state median income level, as documented by the customer to the utility; and
• The customer enters into and makes reasonably timely payments under a payment agreement that considers the financial resources of the household.

If you have trouble paying your utility bill, local agencies may be able to provide payment assistance. The state Department of Human Services recommends you call the county in which you live.

If you know you are going to have trouble paying your utility bills, please contact the Roseau Utility Department at 463-2351 to try and work out a payment schedule. We will try to help.

THE COLD WEATHER RULE DOES NOT FORBID ALL WINTER DISCONNECTION