Filing a single energy assistance application before Dec. 1 can keep the gas and electricity on in an Indiana home through mid-March. Under state law, from Dec. 1 through March 15, regulated utilities cannot disconnect residential gas or electric service to eligible households that have applied for the Energy Assistance Program, according to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
The protection starts once the application is submitted, not when it is approved. Applications for the 2027 program year opened Oct. 1 and stay open until April 30, 2027, and a family of four can earn up to $64,533 a year and still qualify.
A shutoff shield tied to the application
The rule comes from Indiana Code 8-1-2-121. IHCDA, the state agency that runs the federally funded program, says the moratorium protects households that have applied, and it tells applicants to let their utility know if they are scheduled for disconnection.
The state’s utility consumer watchdog describes the rule the same way. According to the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor’s guide to disconnections, a gas or electric utility may not disconnect a customer’s service between Dec. 1 and March 15 if the customer qualifies and has applied for the Energy Assistance Program, regardless of whether benefits are received…