TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Cold Weather Rule in Kansas ends March 31 and those who are on electric and natural gas utility bills will be subject to disconnection of service.

The rule in effect Nov. 1 through March 31 each year provides protection to residential customers who cannot fully pay winter utility bills from companies under the Kansas Corporation Commission’s (KCC) jurisdiction. That protection ends.

There is still time to contact your utility company to set up a payment plan but cautious that failure to make arrangements or failure to addhere to a payment plan would result in service disconnection. Reconnection will require payment in full.

The Cold Weather Rule requires utilities to set up 12-month payment plans for customers who cannot afford to pay their full bill as part of this arrangement, and the customer must make an initial payment of 1/12 of the overdue amount, 1/12 of the bill for current service, the full amount of any disconnection or reconnection fees, plus any deposit and the balance will be billed in equal payments over the next 11 months in addition to the bill.

The Cold Weather Rule is to protect customers during cold winter weather by providing a reasonable and organized method of paying past due and current bills and the Cold Weather Rule applies only to residential customers of natural gas utility companies.

More information about the Cold Weather Rule is available at: www.kcc.ks.gov/pi/cwr_english.htm.