Massachusetts gas and electric companies cannot shut off heat starting Nov. 15 for customers who are in financial hardship and can show it, and homes where every resident is 65 or older cannot lose service without permission from the state Department of Public Utilities. The winter protection runs through March 15.
State law bars hardship shutoffs of gas or electric heating service between Nov. 15 and March 15, according to the Massachusetts court system’s winter heating guide, which cites M.G.L. c. 164, section 124F. The state’s shutoff protection page says a utility cannot shut off service when a customer is in financial hardship and the date falls in that window and the service is needed to heat the home…