Quick Answer
Virginia law protects renters from having electric, natural gas, or water service disconnected for nonpayment during dangerously cold (or hot) weather. Under Virginia Code § 56-245.1:3, electric and gas utilities cannot disconnect residential service when the National Weather Service forecasts a low of 32°F or below within 24 hours of the scheduled cutoff, and water utilities have a similar protection tied to extreme heat. Utilities also cannot disconnect on Fridays, weekends, state holidays, or the day before a holiday, no matter the weather. A separate statute, § 56-245.1:4, requires at least two forms of disconnection notice and proof that the account is 60 days past due before any cutoff can happen. These protections apply to the utility account itself, not the landlord, so Richmond-area renters who pay their own utilities should know the rules apply directly to them, while renters whose landlord pays utilities should understand what recourse exists if the landlord lets service lapse.
Where This Protection Comes From
Virginia’s cold weather utility disconnection protections are relatively recent. The General Assembly enacted the core temperature-based protections in 2024 (through companion legislation often referred to by its chapter numbers, 790 and 824), amending Title 56 of the Code of Virginia, which governs regulated utilities rather than the landlord-tenant relationship found in Title 55.1. That distinction matters: this law regulates what Dominion Energy, Columbia Gas, and local water authorities can do to a customer’s account, not what a landlord can do to a tenant directly. Richmond renters sometimes confuse the two, so it is worth being precise about which rule applies to which situation.
Separately, Virginia’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act already prohibits a landlord from willfully cutting off a tenant’s utilities as a form of self-help eviction. That landlord-side prohibition is a different protection covering a different scenario (a landlord trying to force a tenant out by shutting off power or water), and Mission Realty has covered that topic in detail in our guide on illegal lockouts and utility shutoffs by landlords. This article focuses specifically on the utility company’s own winter disconnection rules, which apply whenever a residential customer, tenant or homeowner, falls behind on a bill in their own name during cold weather.
The Temperature Thresholds, in Plain Language
| Utility Type | Disconnection Prohibited When… |
|---|---|
| Electric | Forecasted low is 32°F or below, or forecasted high is 92°F or above, within 24 hours of the scheduled disconnection |
| Natural gas | Forecasted low is 32°F or below within 24 hours of the scheduled disconnection |
| Water or wastewater | Forecasted high is 92°F or above within 24 hours of the scheduled disconnection |
The forecast that controls is the National Weather Service forecast for the customer’s specific location, not a statewide average. For Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, and the surrounding counties, that typically means the Richmond forecast zone. On top of the temperature rule, no regulated utility can disconnect residential service on a Friday, a Saturday, a Sunday, a state holiday, or the business day immediately before a state holiday, regardless of what the thermometer says. That calendar-based protection is designed to prevent a household from losing power or heat right before a weekend or holiday when utility offices are closed and restoring service is harder to arrange.
What Counts as a Qualifying Cold Snap
Richmond’s winter weather swings quickly, and a 24-hour forecast window means the protection is assessed fresh each time a disconnection is scheduled. A string of mild days followed by a sudden overnight freeze can flip a scheduled disconnection from permitted to prohibited literally overnight. Renters who are behind on a utility bill and worried about a scheduled shutoff during a cold stretch should contact the utility directly and ask whether the scheduled date falls within a protected period, since the utility is required to check the forecast before proceeding.
Notice and Payment-Plan Requirements Before Any Disconnection
Separate from the weather rule, Virginia Code § 56-245.1:4 requires regulated utilities to take several steps before disconnecting any residential customer for nonpayment, in any season:
- The account generally must be at least 60 days past due before disconnection can proceed
- The utility must provide notice through at least two of the following methods: mail, email, text message, phone call, or a door hanger at the residence
- The utility must make reasonable efforts to offer bill payment assistance, arrange a payment plan, or connect the customer with information about energy assistance programs
- Disconnection policies must be available in English, Spanish, and other languages as required under Virginia’s voting-materials language-access provisions
- Customers who received Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP, sometimes called LIHEAP) funds in the past year cannot be required to pay a security deposit exceeding 25 percent of their arrearage, excluding nonpayment fees
These protections exist independent of temperature. A renter who is behind on a bill in July is still entitled to proper notice and a documented opportunity to arrange payment, even though the cold-weather rule would not apply in summer (water and wastewater customers do get a heat-based protection, covered above).
Whose Name Is on the Utility Account Matters
In most Richmond-area rental arrangements, the tenant opens electric and gas accounts directly with the utility in their own name, while the landlord or property manager typically remains responsible for water and sewer in multifamily settings, though single-family rentals often put every utility in the tenant’s name. This distinction determines who the disconnection protection actually protects:
When the Tenant Holds the Account
If a renter’s name is on the electric or gas account and the bill goes unpaid, the tenant is the customer of record, and the cold-weather and notice protections apply directly to them. The tenant deals with the utility company, not the landlord, to resolve the arrearage, set up a payment plan, or confirm whether a scheduled disconnection falls within a protected window.
When the Landlord Holds the Account
In properties where the landlord pays for water, or for all utilities as part of the rent (common in some older Richmond rowhouses and a handful of all-bills-paid rentals), the landlord is the utility’s customer of record. If the landlord falls behind on that bill and service is scheduled for disconnection, the same cold-weather and notice rules apply to the landlord’s account. A tenant whose heat or water is cut off because the landlord failed to pay a utility bill the landlord was contractually responsible for has a separate claim against the landlord under the lease and under Virginia’s landlord-tenant law, distinct from the utility company’s own disconnection rules.
What Richmond Renters Should Do If Facing a Winter Disconnection
- Call the utility before the scheduled date. Ask directly whether the forecast for the scheduled disconnection date and location qualifies for the cold-weather protection, and get the representative’s name and the date of the call in writing (a follow-up email works well).
- Ask about a payment plan. Utilities are required to make reasonable efforts to offer one; asking directly and in writing creates a record that the request was made.
- Apply for energy assistance. The federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program and local nonprofits in the Richmond region, including Capital Area Health Network affiliates and United Way-connected agencies, can help cover arrearages, particularly during the winter heating season.
- Document everything in writing. Texts and emails with the utility create a paper trail that matters if a disconnection happens anyway and needs to be challenged with the State Corporation Commission.
- Escalate to the SCC if needed. The Virginia State Corporation Commission regulates investor-owned utilities and has a consumer complaint process for disputes about disconnection practices.
How Property Managers Should Handle This With Tenants
For landlords and property managers, the practical takeaway is less about legal exposure and more about tenant communication. When utilities are in the tenant’s name, a Richmond property manager generally is not a party to the utility’s disconnection decision, but a good manager still benefits from knowing the rules well enough to point a struggling tenant toward the right resources rather than letting a preventable disconnection turn into a larger maintenance or habitability issue (frozen pipes from an unheated unit being the most common and costly result). For all-bills-paid properties, where the landlord is the utility customer, keeping utility accounts current is a basic habitability obligation, and a lapse that triggers a winter disconnection can expose the landlord to the same scrutiny discussed in our guide on frozen and burst pipes in Richmond-area rentals, since an unheated unit in freezing weather is a fast path to major property damage.
Property managers who want to get ahead of winter utility issues should confirm, at lease signing, exactly which utilities the tenant is responsible for, provide the tenant with the relevant utility company’s contact information, and flag the availability of local energy assistance programs before cold weather arrives rather than after a disconnection notice shows up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature stops a Virginia utility from disconnecting electric service?
Electric utilities cannot disconnect residential service when the National Weather Service forecast shows a low of 32°F or below, or a high of 92°F or above, within 24 hours of the scheduled disconnection.
Does the cold-weather rule apply to water service?
Water and wastewater utilities are protected under the heat threshold (92°F or above forecasted within 24 hours) rather than the cold threshold, since water service interruptions during a heat wave pose the more acute health risk.
Can a utility disconnect service on a weekend in Virginia?
No. Virginia Code § 56-245.1:3 prohibits residential disconnections on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, state holidays, and the business day immediately before a state holiday, regardless of the weather forecast.
How far behind on a bill does a customer have to be before disconnection is allowed?
Generally, an account must be at least 60 days past due, and the utility must have made documented efforts to offer payment assistance or a payment plan before scheduling a disconnection.
Does this law protect tenants if the landlord is the one who didn’t pay the utility bill?
The disconnection protections apply to whoever is the utility’s customer of record. If the landlord holds the account and fails to pay, the same cold-weather and notice rules apply to the landlord’s account, and the tenant may also have a separate claim against the landlord for failing to maintain essential services under the lease.
Is this the same law that stops landlords from shutting off a tenant’s utilities directly?
No. This article covers Virginia Code § 56-245.1:3 and § 56-245.1:4, which regulate utility companies. A separate provision of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act prohibits a landlord from personally cutting off a tenant’s power or water as a form of self-help eviction, which is covered in our guide on illegal lockouts and utility shutoffs.
What should a renter do if a disconnection notice arrives in winter?
Contact the utility immediately, ask about payment plans and energy assistance programs, confirm whether the scheduled date qualifies for the cold-weather protection based on the forecast, and keep written records of every call and email.
Where can a Richmond renter get help paying an overdue utility bill in winter?
The federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program (often called LIHEAP) and local nonprofit agencies in the Richmond region can help cover utility arrearages, particularly during the winter heating season, and utilities are required to help connect customers to these resources before disconnecting service.
Talk to Mission Realty
Whether you are a tenant trying to understand your rights during a cold snap or a Richmond-area owner making sure your rental property is set up to avoid preventable utility and maintenance problems this winter, Mission Realty Property Management is here to help. Renters can find more guidance and resources on our residents page, and if you are searching for your next home, browse our current Richmond homes for rent. If you have a specific question about your lease or a current rental, contact our team directly.
