It’s cold. Why does Kentucky have fewer protections against utility cut-offs?

Temperatures have plummeted below freezing for much of the past week in Central Kentucky, and forecasters are increasingly confident we’ll see a cold and snowy December.

But Kentucky’s gas and electric customers will face the cold with fewer cut-off protections than their peers in neighboring states.

PPL Corporation, the parent company of Kentucky Utilities and Louisville Gas & Electric, was among the companies with the most service shutoffs in 2022, according to a report from utility watchdog groups. And those companies are expected to implement rate increases starting in 2026.

Bills to expand service cut-off protections during periods of extreme cold and heat consistently fail to advance in Kentucky’s legislature, though state regulation does include some limited protections in the colder months of the year.

Here’s what Kentuckians should know as they try to keep the lights on this winter.

Can Kentucky power companies cut off your service in cold weather?

Put simply, the answer is yes.

Barring a few limited protections, Kentucky, unlike many other states, does not have a cold or warm weather rule against heating and cooling service disconnections. Every state that borders Kentucky, except Tennessee, imposes restrictions on service disconnections during colder months or when freezing temperatures are in the forecast.

There have been a few efforts by state lawmakers in recent years to expand protections, but they haven’t gotten very far.

A recent example includes House Bill 326, introduced this year by Rep. Lisa Willner, D-Louisville. That legislation would have prohibited gas and electric companies from disconnecting service during freezing or sweltering temperatures. It failed to advance out of committee.

Similar legislation from Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, also never got a floor vote.

Kentucky does have a few “winter hardship” conditions laid out in existing state regulation, but they only apply to service reconnections. The conditions apply from November to March for residential customers of gas and electric companies.

Kentucky’s winter hardship conditions for service reconnections include the following:

1. The customer presents a “certificate of need” from the Cabinet of Health and Family Services or its designee. Financial need, as defined by the regulation, includes households with a gross income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. For individuals in 2025, that’s $15,650. For a family of four, that would be $32,150. In Kentucky, Community Action agencies typically handle certificates of need. They also offer assistance through Kentucky’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

2. The customer pays one-third of their outstanding bill or $200, whichever is less.

3. The customer agrees to a repayment plan. The repayment plan must bring them current as soon as possible, but no later than Oct. 15.

If your service has been disconnected, contact the company and ask about setting up a partial payment plan.

You may be asked to pay the current charges, but state regulation requires utilities to negotiate and accept reasonable partial payment plans at the customer’s request. So long as the customer holds up their end of the agreement, the utility cannot disconnect the service.

If you need assistance, reach out to your local Community Action office. The agencies help low-income households with monthly subsidies, as well as crisis support to keep the lights on.

This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM.