An Otter Tail Company

Minnesota Cold Weather Rule

Some customers find it hard to pay their heating bills in the winter. The State of Minnesota set up the Cold Weather Rule to protect residential customers from disconnection if they cannot pay their bills in full. This protection lasts from October 15 through April 15. You may qualify for this protection if you meet both of the following conditions:

1. The disconnections would affect your main heating source.
2. You and Otter Tail Power Company agree to a payment plan.

If you receive energy assistance, you are eligible for Cold Weather Rule protection.

Avoiding disconnection

If you receive a notice of proposed disconnection this winter, you must call Otter Tail Power Company at 800-257-4044 immediately to apply for Cold Weather Rule Protection and set up a payment plan.

Your service will be subject to disconnection without further notice if you do not make the agreed upon payments. If you cannot keep your original payment plan, call Otter Tail Power Company immediately and make a new payment plan to avoid disconnection.

Reconnection

If your power is disconnected on October 15 when the Cold Weather Rule takes affect, you can have your power reconnected by calling Otter Tail Power Company at 800-257-4044 to set up a payment plan. After reconnection if you cannot keep your original payment plan, call Otter Tail Power Company immediately and make a new payment plan to avoid disconnection.

Proposed disconnection

If you receive a Notice of Proposed Disconnection, you also will receive the following:

1. Information about your rights and responsibilities
2. Information about ways to reduce energy use
3. A list of agencies that help pay utility bills
4. A list of weatherization providers

Cold Weather Rule Payment Plan

If you have received a Notice of Proposed Disconnection you might qualify for a payment plan. Please see the MN Cold Weather Rule brochure for complete details on the steps to take if you cannot pay your electric bill or your electric service is disconnected.

Customers who expect difficulty paying the higher winter electric service statements should contact Otter Tail Power Company well before cold weather begins. It is better to work out a mutually acceptable payment plan if we discuss the matter before any electric service statement is overdue.

We may be able to inform customers of possible financial assistance available to help pay high heating bills. Our intention under the Cold Weather Rule, as in all matters of financial difficulty, is to continue service if we have some assurance of payment.

Customers who merely ignore past-due notices and haven't requested a payment plan may be disconnected.

Payment plan

You have the right to a payment plan during the cold-weather months. This payment plan must be agreeable to you and to Otter Tail Power Company.

If your household income is:

  • At or below 50 percent of the state median income, you are not required to pay more than 10 percent of your monthly household income.
  • More than 50 percent of the state median income, you may make a payment plan with Otter Tail Power Company.

Most Cold Weather Rule payment plans last until April 15 unless you make other arrangements with Otter Tail Power Company. Your service could be disconnected if you have a past-due balance on April 15 and do not make and keep a new payment plan.

If you and Otter Tail Power Company cannot agree on a payment plan, you have ten days to appeal to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The PUC will help you set up a payment plan, and your service will stay on during the appeal process.

If you and Otter Tail Power Company agree on a payment plan and you continue to make your payments, Otter Tail Power Company will not disconnect your service.

You may qualify for our Even Monthly Payment (EMP) plan that averages your billing over 12 months.

Third-party notice

Otter Tail Power Company offers all customers the opportunity to have a third party notified if their electric service is about to be discontinued. This program can be especially helpful for the ill, senior citizens, those who live alone, and customers who do not read English. The purpose of this program is to notify a third party, as well as the customer, that a Notice of Proposed Disconnection has been sent.

A third party could be a friend, relative, church, or community agency. The third party receives copies of all disconnection notices Otter Tail Power Company mails to the customer but is NOT required to pay the bills. The third party is authorized to exchange information about the customer and make a payment plan with Otter Tail Power Company on the customer’s behalf. This helps avoid the hardship that would result from disconnecting the customer’s service.

If you want to name a third party, please fill out the Third-Party Notice form and return it to Otter Tail Power Company.

Medically necessary equipment protection

To qualify for medically necessary equipment protection a residential customer must meet certain criteria.

If a customer who qualifies for medically necessary equipment protection makes the required monthly payments, Otter Tail Power Company cannot disconnect that customer's electrical service.