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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont bill creates electric ratepayer protection program and bans disconnections during extreme heat
Last action · January 6, 2026: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on FinanceSponsors: Rebecca White and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
The Vermont General Assembly introduces S.204, requiring the Public Utility Commission to design a statewide electric ratepayer assistance program for low- and moderate-income households by January 15, 2027. The bill also prohibits utility disconnections during periods of extreme heat and expands medical protections against service shutoffs.
Low- and moderate-income residential customers could receive financial assistance for electricity bills funded by charges across all ratepayer classes, while utilities face restrictions on service disconnections during extreme weather.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Low- and moderate-income residential customers
Eligible customers may receive financial assistance for electricity bills and expanded protections against utility disconnections.
Electric utilities
Utilities must participate in the collaborative, implement disconnection rules, and recover net incremental costs through customer charges.
Residential gas, electric, and water ratepayers
Customers are subject to statewide funding mechanisms and customer charges applicable to all ratepayer classes.
Key Facts
- The Public Utility Commission must submit a proposed statewide electric ratepayer protection program in draft legislation to legislative committees on or before January 15, 2027.
- Utilities are prohibited from disconnecting gas, electric, or water service to any residential ratepayer during periods of extreme heat.
- A physician's certificate certifying an immediate and serious health hazard prevents utility service disconnection or requires reconnection.
- The ratepayer protection program may provide financial assistance for customers at and below 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
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- The program may be funded through customer charges applicable to all ratepayer classes in an equitable and reasonable manner.
- The Public Utility Commission must establish a collaborative including utilities, consumer representatives, and state agencies to help develop the program.
- The act takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What protection does this bill offer during hot weather?
Who will be eligible for the electric ratepayer protection program?
When is the ratepayer protection program due to the legislature?
What else do you want to know?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 6, 2026SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to Committee on Finance
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Utility Disconnection Protections
The bill broadens traditional medical certificate protections by explicitly adding extreme heat prohibitions across gas, electric, and water utilities.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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