Oregon has rules protecting you when you are at risk of disconnection. Some of these protections are in place until October 2025, but Multnomah County is part of a coalition working to strengthen these rules permanently and expects to see stronger rules in place this upcoming winter.
Energy disconnection refers to your utility provider shutting off your natural gas and electricity service. The energy utilities that serve Multnomah County are Portland General Electric (PGE), PacifiCorp (Pacific Power), and NW Natural. If you are an income-qualified customer or a Medical Certificate* participant, you have additional protections.
For all customers: you cannot be disconnected from energy during extreme weather events.
Extreme weather events include:
- a winter storm warning and temperatures of under 32 degrees from November to March;
- low air quality (air quality index above 100) and wildfire evacuation notices;
- heat advisories, extreme heat warnings, and extreme heat watches.
If you were disconnected up to three days before the National Weather Service severe weather alert is in effect, you can request to be reconnected and the utility could ask you to pay a reconnection fee or your outstanding debt as a precondition. Utilities must keep you connected for 48 hours after the extreme weather conditions end.
In all conditions, disconnections can only happen from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This leaves time for same-day reconnections. Additionally, utilities must provide 20 days notice before disconnecting you with an additional 24-hours notice to allow you to make your outstanding balance payment. An outstanding balance payment is a reasonable partial payment of your bill determined by your utility.
For income-qualified customers:
You are income-qualified if one or more of the following is true.
- You have received assistance from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program;
- you have received assistance from the Oregon Energy Assistance Program;
- you are in a utility’s low-income assistance program;
- your income is at or below 60% of Oregon’s median income.
If you are income-qualified, utilities cannot charge you some reconnection fees, late payment fees, or pre-connection fees. If you earn between 0-10% of Oregon’s median income, you cannot be charged any reconnection fees, though specific utilities may have more generous programs.
*For customers with Medical Certificates:
You can get a Medical Certificate if your qualified medical provider can affirm that you need electricity for medical equipment, for a medical need, or if you have extreme health risks or mobility concerns. Examples include but are not limited to respirators and insulin. You can speak to a medical professional to confirm your need for a Medical Certificate. You can also attest to your medical need for yourself to receive an emergency certificate, but you will need to submit verification from your medical provider within 14 days. Medical certificates afford you some additional protections: in severe weather, they allow you to request reconnection if you were disconnected up to a week before severe weather conditions are in effect; reconnection fees will also be waived if you show that you cannot pay them.
Some of these protections may vary slightly depending on your utility. Call your utility representatives for more details.
PGE: 503-228-6322
Pacific Power: 1-888-221-7070 (1-888-225-2611 for Spanish)
NW Natural: 800-422-4012
For more information, check Multnomah County’s Help for When It’s Hot page. To check whether the NWS has declared a heat advisory, extreme heat watch, or extreme heat warning, check their website for your region.
Check these resources for more information on utility bill discounts and medical certificates from PGE.
Check these resources for more information on utility bill discounts and medical certificates from Pacific Power.