Starting today, Nov. 1, Connecticut’s Winter Protection Period is in effect. Through May 1, the state’s regulated gas and electric companies cannot shut off heat-related service to customers who have a financial hardship designation. That covers Eversource, Yankee Gas, United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas, the companies serving most North Haven homes.
The catch: the protection is not automatic. You need the hardship designation on your account, and, according to the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), you must be enrolled in a payment program with your utility. Here is how it works and where to get help in North Haven.
Who qualifies for hardship status
PURA says customers may qualify if they receive certain public assistance, including the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP), SNAP, TANF or unemployment benefits, or if their household income is at or below 60% of the state median income. The state’s heating help site also lists households at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. PURA notes that customers who were coded as hardship last year had to return their annual renewal paperwork in October.
To get coded, contact your utility directly or your local Community Action Agency. For North Haven, that is the Community Action Agency of New Haven (CAANH).
What else your utility offers
- Matching Payment Program: PURA says eligible hardship customers can have payments matched toward their past-due balance.
- Low-income discount rate: PURA lists an automatic 10% discount tier for qualifying customers.
- Payment plans: utilities offer flexible plans, up to 18 months, to catch up on a past-due balance.
- Medical protection: with certification from a physician, a household with a seriously ill member can be protected from shutoff, and PURA says life-threatening cases are protected at any time of year.
Energy assistance: up to $705 this winter
CEAP, run by the state Department of Social Services, helps pay heating costs for income-eligible renters and homeowners. For the 2026-27 season, DSS lists basic benefits from $355 to $705, depending on income and household size. Applications opened Sept. 1 and are accepted through May 31, 2027.
CAANH’s eligibility chart sets the income limit at 60% of state median income: $48,714 for a one-person household, rising to $129,279 for a household of eight. The agency lists benefit levels of $705, $555 and $405 for households that heat with deliverable fuels such as oil or propane, and $655, $505 and $355 for others.
Dates to know from CAANH: Monday, Nov. 2, is the first day fuel deliveries can be paid by the program. The last day to authorize a fuel delivery is April 1, 2027, and the deadline for vendors to submit fuel bills is June 17, 2027. CAANH also lists a separate Generation Power CT grant of up to $500, with application windows Dec. 1 to 15 and March 1 to 15.
How to apply in North Haven
North Haven residents can apply through the town’s Community Services department at the Town Hall Annex, 5 Linsley St., 203-239-2566. The town’s page says energy assistance appointments are done by phone on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 to 11:15 a.m.
The town’s schedule depends on how you heat. Households that heat with oil can call now; the town began booking those after Labor Day. Households heating with gas or electricity, and renters whose heat is included in the rent, are told to call in January 2027. The town warns approval can take up to 45 business days, and gas and electric benefits show up as credits on UI or Southern Connecticut Gas bills.
You can also go straight to CAANH, 419 Whalley Ave., New Haven. Its energy line is 203-285-8018, and applications can be emailed to energyapplications@caanh.net. For weatherization help, CAANH refers residents to CET at 860-781-7124.
The bottom line
If you are behind on a gas or electric bill, do not wait for a notice. Call your utility, ask about hardship status and a payment plan, and book a CEAP appointment. Being enrolled before a crisis is what keeps the heat on.
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