by Elizabeth Kwofie, Communications Intern, Canadian Environmental Law Association
Disconnection moratoriums are a crucial safety measure that ensures vulnerable residents are not left without heating or cooling during unbearably cold or hot months. In Canada, these protections cover the frigid winters, but places in the United States recognize their value for extreme heat, opening up an opportunity for Canada to do the same.
In Canada, winter brings freezing temperatures, making indoor heating vital for survival. As a result, during winter, utility companies across Canada temporarily suspend shutoffs for non-payment to ensure that residents who can’t afford essential utilities still have access to electricity for heating. This practice is known as a disconnection moratorium.
The Winter Disconnection Moratorium Period
In Canada, moratoriums cover winter months, with the start and end dates depending on the province. For example, this protection lasts from November 15th to April 30th in Ontario. In Alberta, utility companies can’t disconnect electricity between October 15th and April 15th or natural gas services between November 1st and April 14th unless there is a prolonged period where temperatures are above 0 degrees Celsius at night. In BC, from November 1st to March 31st, residents won’t be disconnected from heat if the daily average temperature for the next 24 hours is below 0 degrees Celsius.
During these periods, utility companies legally cannot disconnect electricity or natural gas utilities. In Ontario, any customers previously disconnected before November 15th for non-payment reasons are guaranteed to be reconnected by December 1st without charge. However, bill balances and interest will continue to accumulate during the disconnection moratorium period.
Why Does Canada Use Winter Disconnection Moratoriums?
Canada uses disconnection moratoriums in the winter to protect low-income households or those struggling financially from the life-threatening effects of extreme cold. Without adequate heating, households — particularly those with elderly residents, children, pregnant women, or individuals with disabilities — face severe health risks, including hypothermia and frostbite. Moreover, cold homes can exacerbate chronic conditions like asthma, respiratory issues, and heart disease. During Canadian winters, temperatures often plunge to life-threatening lows, making access to heating a fundamental human right, NOT a luxury.
In Ontario, the push for a winter disconnection ban goes back nearly two decades. Since 2004, groups like the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) and the Low Income Energy Network (LIEN) have been advocating for protections to ensure that vulnerable residents would not lose their electricity during the coldest months. Their persistent efforts led the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to implement a temporary winter disconnection moratorium in 2017, and later that same year the OEB finally issued a permanent winter disconnection ban.
Rising Temperatures and the Need for Summer Moratoriums
As global temperatures rise, regions in the United States are extending these protections to include the summer season. These protections recognize that cooling, like heating, is essential to public health and safety protocols.
In many parts of the U.S., summer heat reaches dangerous highs, leading to dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat strokes. Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, people with chronic health conditions, and those living in poorly insulated homes, are at significant risk. According to an article published in the Journal of Environmental Research and Health in 2020, heat-related illnesses and death are more common in households without air conditioning, a reality that is particularly concerning as rising energy costs make cooling systems increasingly unaffordable for low-income families in both the U.S. and Canada. Moreover, Black- and Latino- or Hispanic-led households are more likely to report not having an air conditioner in their home compared to White households and more likely to receive a disconnection notice or be disconnected from the electric grid than White households.
Recognizing that extreme heat can be just as deadly as extreme cold has prompted Arizona, Texas and New Mexico, to name a few, to implement summer disconnection moratoriums to prevent low-income households from losing access to air conditioning.
Arizona’s summer disconnection moratorium prevents residential power companies from disconnecting power for non-payment from June 1st to October 15th when temperatures exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). Texas and New Mexico have adopted similar measures. In Texas, electric utility companies cannot disconnect customers during extreme weather emergencies, and the Public Utilities Commission of Texas has additional protections in place for customers who are ill or disabled and would be harmed by a disconnection. Lastly, New Mexico’s utility companies are also prohibited from disconnecting service when the temperature is expected to be 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) or higher for the following 24 hours.
Overall, 23 states have implemented mandatory limits on utility disconnections during periods of extreme heat, with Virginia being the most recent state to add a summer protection policy, which went into effect on July 1st, 2024.
Impacts of Disconnections
Lack of access to electricity can disrupt daily life, jeopardize health, and destabilize households financially. For instance, food spoils without refrigeration, increasing food insecurity. Disconnections can be life-threatening in homes dependent on medical devices powered by electricity. Utility shutoffs can have a significant psychological toll, causing stress, anxiety, and a sense of insecurity among affected households. Even a temporary loss of essential utilities can add substantial financial and emotional strain for those living paycheck to paycheck. In Ontario, for example, while low-income customers aren’t subject to a reconnection fee to resume service once it’s been shut off, the disruption can still have cascading effects, forcing households to make difficult choices around budgeting and basic needs. Over time, this cycle of disconnection and reconnection can deepen economic hardship and create ongoing barriers to financial stability. Ontario MUST implement a summer disconnection ban lasting from June to mid-October as the number of extreme heat events continues to increase annually.
Just this year, 74-year-old Toronto woman Maxine Stirling Dawe struggled to keep herself cool during a period of extreme heat after Toronto Hydro cut off her electricity for non-payment. The reason why she fell behind on her bill? She used the money to support her adult son. With no power amid a sweltering summer heat wave, the single senior sought reprieve from the heat by going to nearby public spaces with air conditioning, such as libraries and pharmacies.
How Can You Get Involved?
Maintaining affordable utility access is not just a short-term solution but a necessary step in adapting to climate-driven weather extremes. For Canadian residents wondering how they can educate themselves and their communities about energy access and advocate for the right to cooling amid rising temperatures, JOIN US Thursday, November 21st from 12:00-3:00 pm ET (via Zoom) for LIEN’s Annual Conference 2024! This year’s theme is “Cool it Now: Protecting Tenants from Extreme Heat.” For more information or to register, please visit LIEN’s website.
Also, check out this new toolkit for activists on Municipal Advocacy around Extreme Heat and Rental Housing. It includes a Model Maximum Heat Bylaw that can be used in any municipality and a Template for Deputation on Extreme Heat in Rental Housing you can send to your local city council members!
