New York Attorney General Letitia James is issuing a consumer alert reminding New Yorkers of their legal protections for home utilities as winter weather sets in. State law provides strong safeguards to ensure residential customers maintain access to essential services like heat and hot water during the cold months.
James said utility companies are required to take extra steps before shutting off heat-related services during the winter period and are prohibited from disconnecting service if it would create a health or safety risk.
“New Yorkers have a legal right to heat and hot water services during the winter season,” James said. “As temperatures drop, I urge New Yorkers to know their rights when it comes to home utilities and to reach out to my office if they feel their rights are being violated. No New Yorker should be left without heat or hot water as days and nights grow colder.”
The Attorney General highlighted several key consumer protections, including:
- Utilities must make extra efforts to contact households before a shutoff during the cold weather period, which runs from November 1 through April 15.
- Utilities must wait at least 35 days after a bill becomes past due before pursuing service termination, and must give at least 15 days’ notice before shutting off service.
- Utilities cannot disconnect residential service during the two-week period that includes Christmas and New Year’s Day.
- Utilities are prohibited from shutting off service to households where someone is experiencing a serious health-related hardship, including serious illness, disability, recent death in the family, or when young children are present.
James urged anyone who experiences an unauthorized shutoff or believes they have been taken advantage of to file a complaint online or call her office at 1-800-771-7755.
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