New Protections Against Summer Power Shut-Offs
Posted on June 2, 2025 by Cassie Allen
Tags, Energy, General Interest
Learn More: Download our New Summer Disconnection Protections One Pager
Oregon’s summers are getting hotter and longer, with extreme heat, wildfires, and bad air quality becoming the new norm. Cooling your home and safely staying indoors during extreme weather isn’t a luxury—it’s essential for staying safe.
Starting June 1, 2025, through the end of October, new rules will limit disconnections during extreme heat and air quality alerts, expand support for those with medical certificates, and more. These rules offer stronger protections for households by making it easier to stay safe and cool this summer.
While these new rules may be temporary, permanent rules are on the way! Protections apply to Oregon customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, and Idaho Power.
New Protections: Keeping the Power On this Summer
When your power is shut off because you can’t afford to pay your energy bill, it can be incredibly dangerous and expensive.
When you’re disconnected, your household loses access to fans or A/C during a heatwave. Your food and medicine could spoil. And you won’t be able to use electric-powered medical devices, severely impacting your family’s health and safety.
New protections include:
- No disconnections during extreme summer weather
- Limitations on reconnection fees and upfront costs
- Improved support for medical certificate holders
- More communication on customer protections
Preventing power shut-offs saves lives, especially during extreme weather events. These rules help everyone stay safe— especially seniors, kids, pregnant people, and people living with many medical conditions.
Communities living in heat islands will benefit too. Developed areas, such as cities, often experience higher temperatures when there is a lot of concrete and few trees. These communities take longer to cool down and have worse air quality. These updated protections help account for this reality.
No Disconnections During Extreme Summer Weather
The new rules protect you on days with an extreme heat watch or warning, or a local heat advisory. The rules also apply when a local air quality alert is issued.
In addition to during extreme weather events, you are now protected from having your power shut off for non-payment around these events:
No Upfront Costs During an Extreme Heat or Air Quality Event
Normally, if your power is shut off because of nonpayment, utilities can charge you a reconnection fee and require you to pay at least half of your past due bill. Under the new summer rules, utilities can’t charge you any upfront costs to be reconnected to power during extreme heat or air quality events.
For all customers, you can request that your utility reconnect you during an extreme summer weather event if you were disconnected up to 72 hours before the event. The reconnection fee may be added to your bill, and you’ll eventually have to pay your past due bills. But when requested, utilities are required to reconnect you without any prepayment during qualifying extreme summer weather.
Example: Sue was disconnected on a Monday, and can’t afford to be reconnected. On Wednesday, a heat advisory is issued! Sue can call her utility on Wednesday and have her power restored without paying anything upfront. She’ll be protected on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Once the heat or air quality event ends, if Sue still hasn’t paid her bill, the utility may disconnect her power again.
Improved Support for Medical Certificate Holders
If you or someone in your household depends on an essential medical device, you can apply for a medical certificate with your utility provider. This alerts your utility to your household’s specific energy needs. With the new protections, medical certificate holders can:
- Have your reconnection fees waived if you are shut off for past due bills
- Request to have your power restored if you were disconnected up to 7 days before a qualifying heat or air event, and remain disconnected at the time of the heat or air event.
Expanding these protections is crucial for Oregonians who need life-saving medical devices to run smoothly during heat waves.
Improved Communications About Customer Protections
The temporary rules also require Oregon’s electric utilities to tell you about your disconnection protections when you:
- Sign up for a bill discount program
- Ask their customer service about bill assistance
- Receive a disconnection notice
- Within 24 hours of being disconnected for non-payment
- Request that your power be turned back on
They also must train their customer service representatives on the new disconnection rules, so you should get the help you need next time you call.
Strengthened Protections for Bill Discount Program Participants
If you’re already struggling to pay your bills, getting your power turned back on can be even harder after being disconnected for past due bills. In addition to a monthly discount, income-qualified customers on these programs also receive additional protections.
Additional Protections for Bill Discount Recipients
These new rules provide extra support for customers enrolled in utility bill discount programs:
- Request to have your power restored if you were disconnected up to 7 days before a qualifying heat or air event, and remain disconnected at the time of the heat or air event.
- For the lowest income customers, you can have your reconnection fees waived if you are shut off for past due bills
If you’re enrolled in your electric utility’s bill discount program and you make 0-10% of Oregon’s State Median Income (adjusted for household size), you can now have all reconnection fees waived. If you receive a significant discount on your energy bill, contact your utility to see if you qualify to have your reconnection fees waived.
Sign Up for Monthly Bill Discounts Today!
Utility bill discount programs are available for customers at or below 60% state median income (SMI). Depending on the utility program, customers will be able to sign up via an online application, calling into the utility, or visiting their local Community Action Agency.
Portland General Electric
PGE’s Income-Qualified Bill Discount offers a monthly bill discount of 15-80% for eligible customers. You can find out more information about the program on PGE’s website or by calling their customer service number: 1-800-542-8818
Pacific Power
Pacific Power’s Low-Income Discount provides eligible customers with a 20-40% monthly bill discount. Eligible customers can sign up for the program on Pacific Power’s website or by calling the customer service line at 1-888-221-7070.
Idaho Power
Idaho Power’s bill discount program offers a monthly bill discount of 10-70% for eligible customers. You can find out more information about their program on Idaho Power’s website or by calling their customer service line at 1-800-488-6151.
CUB Will Keep Advocating for Permanent Protections
These temporary protections are a huge win for Oregonians, resulting in more days when Oregon households are protected from disconnection.
CUB and fellow advocate organizations such as Multnomah County’s Office of Sustainability, NW Energy Coalition, Community Energy Project, Verde, Community Action Partnership of Oregon, Coalition of Communities of Color, and more worked hard to propose and secure these rules. Together, we’ll keep working to ensure Oregonians are protected from disconnection for non-payment when extreme weather hits.
We expect permanent rules to be in place by the end of 2025. Reach out to us with insight on stronger disconnection protections as we keep advocating in this ongoing process!
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08/28/25 | 0 Comments | New Protections Against Summer Power Shut-Offs