Atlanta Georgia Power Shutoff Rules 2026–27: Your Rights Before a Disconnection
Updated: 3 hours ago
Behind on your Georgia Power bill in Atlanta? A shutoff isn't supposed to come as a surprise. Here are the notice rules, the winter, heat and medical protections, and how to get the PSC to step in.
AT A GLANCE
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The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates Georgia Power. Its rules, found in Subject 515-3-2 of the Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia, spell out when residential electric service may be cut off, what notice you must get first, and when a disconnection is not allowed at all.
This guide walks through those rules in the order you are likely to need them: when the bill is due, the notice the company has to give, the cold-weather, heat, and medical protections, what tenants can do when the landlord pays the bill, and how to ask the PSC to step in. It ends with the bill help programs the PSC points customers to. Everything here comes from the PSC's own consumer pages and the text of the rule itself.
Who These Rules Protect
The disconnection rules in Subject 515-3-2 cover residential electric and gas utility service under the PSC's jurisdiction. For most Atlanta households that means Georgia Power. The PSC's 2026 summer heat advisory notice spells out the limit: Georgia Power residential customers are covered, but EMC (electric membership cooperative) and municipal customers are not covered by the PSC rule and should contact their own provider about its policies.
If your power comes from Georgia Power, keep reading. If it comes from an EMC or a city-owned utility, the protections below may not apply to you, so ask your provider directly what its shutoff policy is.
When Your Bill Is Due and When It Becomes Past Due
The PSC's Electric Disconnection page sets out the basic timeline:
Step | What the PSC says |
|---|---|
Time to pay | At least 21 days after the meter is read |
Weekend or holiday due date | The bill must be paid by the next workday |
No bill received | Call the company. You still have to pay by the due date |
Earliest shutoff for nonpayment | When the bill is not paid within 45 days of the statement date |
The rule text (515-3-2-.01) adds an important detail. A shutoff for an unpaid bill is allowed only when the bill is not for a previous occupant's service, is not for buying merchandise or appliances, and is not for service at a different meter that has been unpaid for less than 45 days. If Georgia Power threatens to cut you off over a previous tenant's bill or an appliance purchase, that is not a valid reason under the rule.
A shutoff over a previous occupant's bill or an appliance purchase is not a valid reason under the PSC rule.
The Only Reasons Service Can Be Cut Off
Under Rule 515-3-2-.01, residential electric service may be disconnected only for these reasons:
You ask for it.
Service to you is an immediate hazard to people or property.
The PSC, a court, or another authorized public agency orders it.
You violated utility rules and regulations that are approved by and filed with the PSC.
A bill for past service is not paid within at least 45 days after the bill date, subject to the limits above.
The Notice Georgia Power Must Give First
Rule 515-3-2-.02 sets out four conditions. All of them must be met before your residential service can be shut off.
1. Written notice at least 5 days ahead
The utility must deliver written notice of the proposed disconnection to the service address, or to anyone it knows has taken responsibility for paying the bill, at least five days before the disconnection date. The PSC says the notice should be conspicuous and distinguishable from your regular bill. It must include:
the earliest date for the proposed disconnection
the amount due and the reason for the disconnection
a phone number you can call about it
the procedure for preventing the disconnection, including the procedure for a medical emergency
information on any programs the utility knows of that might help you pay a past-due bill
2. A good-faith contact attempt 2 days ahead
If the company has not already reached you personally, it must make a good-faith effort to contact you at least two days before the disconnection date. It can do this by phone, certified mail, certification of mailing, or another method reasonably designed to reach you.
3. A business day when you can pay
The disconnection date must be a business day when a utility representative is available to take your payment.
4. Extra time for estimated bills
If the overdue amount covers three or more months of usage that was billed on estimates, the company cannot cut you off unless it has given you as much time to pay as the period that was estimated.
What to do with a shutoff notice: check the earliest disconnection date, the amount, and the phone number on it. Call right away to ask about the payment arrangements and assistance the notice describes. The PSC encourages anyone at risk of losing service to make payment arrangements with their provider.
Weather Protections: Winter and Summer
Winter (November 15 to March 15)
Rule 515-3-2-.04(1) says that between November 15 and March 15, a utility may not cut off residential service for an unpaid bill if all of the following are true:
You agree in writing to pay the past-due balance, including customer charges, in equal installments that start with the first billing period after March 15 and end before the following October 15.
You also agree in writing to pay all bills for current service by their due dates.
The forecast local low temperature for the 24-hour period starting at 8:00 a.m. on the proposed disconnection date is below 32°F.
The protection lasts only as long as you keep both written agreements. For gas service, the PSC's consumer page says the cold-weather hold applies when the forecast is below 32°F for a 48-hour period starting at 8:00 a.m.
Summer heat
Rule 515-3-2-.04(2) says an electric utility may not cut off residential service for an unpaid bill if, before 8:00 a.m. on the scheduled date, a National Weather Service Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning is in effect, or is forecast to be in effect, for the county where the meter is located.
The PSC's 2026 advisory adds a warning: this is a temporary restriction. As soon as the heat advisory ends, the disconnection can go ahead. Use the time to set up a payment arrangement.
Protection | Window | Trigger | What you must do |
|---|---|---|---|
Winter (electric) | Nov 15 – Mar 15 | Forecast low below 32°F for 24 hours from 8:00 a.m. | Sign the installment agreement and keep current bills paid |
Summer (electric) | Any time a heat alert applies | NWS Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning for your county before 8:00 a.m. | Nothing to trigger it, but it ends when the advisory ends |
Serious illness | Up to 1 month, renewable once | Certified serious illness that a shutoff would aggravate | Give notice and a medical statement within 10 days |
Serious Illness Protection
Rule 515-3-2-.03 protects a residential customer with a serious illness that a disconnection would aggravate. To use it:
Notify Georgia Power of the condition in writing. You can call first, but you must follow up in writing within 10 days.
Within 10 days of your first notice, get the company a written statement from a physician, county board of health, hospital, or clinic. The statement must identify the illness and its expected duration, and certify that a disconnection would aggravate it.
The disconnection is then held off for the shorter of the length of the illness or one month from your first notice. You can renew the postponement one more time by repeating the same steps. If there is a dispute about whether the illness is serious, the case may be referred to the PSC for a final decision.
Before you call
☐ your Georgia Power account number and the shutoff notice
☐ a copy of your written notice to the company, and the date you sent it
☐ the signed medical statement with the illness, its expected duration, and the certification
☐ for the winter hold, a copy of your signed installment and current-bill agreements
☐ receipts for any payments you make
If You Rent and the Landlord Pays the Electric Bill
Rule 515-3-2-.05 protects tenants in multi-family buildings where the landlord is responsible for the utility bill:
The utility must give tenants written notice at least five days before a proposed disconnection.
The notice must be personally served on at least one adult in each unit, or posted conspicuously on the property if personal service is not possible.
The utility must accept payments from tenants toward their share of the past-due amount and give receipts showing the payments will be credited to the landlord's account.
Keep every receipt. They show what you paid toward the landlord's account.
If You Dispute the Bill or Were Cut Off in Error
The PSC's process has two steps.
Go to the utility first. If you believe your service was disconnected in error, tell the utility as soon as possible. The PSC says a utility must use every reasonable means to resolve a complaint about a mistaken disconnection.
Ask the PSC to investigate. Under Rule 515-3-2-.06, once all remedial measures with the utility have failed, you can ask the PSC to investigate a disputed bill before service is terminated. You can ask in writing, or ask orally and then follow up in writing. The request must be made within 10 days after the date of the disputed bill.
If it is determined that you do not owe the bill, any late charges are refunded.
PSC contact | Details |
|---|---|
Toll-free | (800) 282-5813 |
Phone | (404) 656-4501 |
Hours (per 2026 advisory) | Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
Address | 244 Washington Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30334 |
Online | File a complaint through the PSC's online complaint system |
Help Paying So You Can Avoid a Shutoff
The PSC's Utility Assistance Programs page says many utilities offer payment plans to customers who qualify. Those plans may allow deferred payment if you can't pay the whole bill, or delay disconnection while you work on paying. The PSC also lists these programs:
Program | Who it helps (per PSC) | Contact |
|---|---|---|
Georgia Power Income-Qualified Discount | Households at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines; since May 2024 also customers receiving SSDI, SSI, or a HUD Section 8 voucher. Up to $33.50 per month | Georgia Power |
LIHEAP | Income at or below 150% of the poverty level, responsible for paying for the home's primary heating source, and a U.S. citizen or legally admitted alien | Fulton and DeKalb (inside the City of Atlanta): 800.869.1150 / 404.320.0166 |
HEAT | Heating assistance | 404.656.6696 |
Project SHARE | Energy bill assistance | 1.800.25SHARE |
GEFA Weatherization | Weatherization assistance | 404.656.3826 |
United Way 2-1-1 / Salvation Army | Other financial assistance | 2-1-1 or 404.614.1000 / 404.873.3101 |
Our related guides cover how to apply for the Georgia Power discount and Project SHARE in detail.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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More help in Atlanta
See our Atlanta financial help guides for utility, rent, food, and benefits help in one place.
Related guides
Official sources
Rules and program amounts can change. Confirm the details with Georgia Power or the PSC at (800) 282-5813 before you rely on them.
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