COLUMBUS, Ohio (AVC News) — The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has issued its Special Reconnect Order for the upcoming winter heating season, allowing eligible customers to reconnect or maintain electric and natural gas service.
The order applies to residential customers of PUCO-regulated utilities from Oct. 12, 2026, through April 16, 2027. Customers can use the program once during the winter heating season. More than 227,000 Ohioans used the program last winter.
“For more than three decades, the PUCO has issued its Special Reconnect Order, providing assistance to hundreds of thousands of households in Ohio each year. This order is one of the ways the PUCO is able to help families remain connected to their primary heating source during the winter months,” stated PUCO Chair Jenifer French.
Under the order, customers must pay no more than $175, plus any applicable reconnection fee of up to $36. Any amount above those limits may be added to the customer’s next monthly bill.
The order also applies to customers establishing new electric or natural gas service. Instead of paying a full security deposit, customers can pay up to $175, with the remaining balance added to their next bill. There is no income requirement to use the order. Customers at or below 175% of federal income guidelines may apply for assistance through the Home Energy Assistance Program winter crisis program to help cover the $175 payment.
