The home heating season will soon be over in Minnesota but it might be little comfort to utility customers behind on their bills.

With unaffordability a growing concern, a consumer group is urging those households to seek help now if they need it. The Citizens Utility Board said Minnesotans are now more than $120 million behind on their energy bills and disconnection rates are higher than ever. The group's latest report showed many Minnesotans are making unhealthy sacrifices to pay their energy bills.

Kevin Krantz, consumer specialist for the board, said the numbers are worse elsewhere around the country, but it does not erase local hardships.

"Averages are never going to tell the whole story," Krantz pointed out. "And even if we have lower rates compared to the national average, people are struggling."

Using census data, the board reported 36% of Minnesotans have either reduced or gone without basic household necessities to cover energy bills. The group said customers need to know their rights about disconnections, how to dispute them and how to spot differences between monthly statements. Board staff can help navigate such situations. It also recommends the Public Utilities Commission’s Consumer Affairs Office when mediation is needed.

If you are behind on your bill, experts said the onus is on the customer to work with their utility to set up a manageable payment plan. Minnesota has a Cold Weather Rule from Oct. 1 through April 30 to prevent disconnections but there is a misconception around it being automatic. A revised payment plan is still needed.

Carmen Carruthers, outreach director for the board, added even with an agreement in place, you should not assume your billing situation will remain stable later in the spring.

"It is pretty common to see disconnections spike in early May due to the expiration of the Cold Weather Rule," Carruthers observed.

With the rule soon ending, she stressed now is the time to make sure you are still on pace to catch up on your bills. The board said during the last Cold Weather Rule period, more than 20,000 Minnesota households were disconnected from electric or natural gas service.

Source: Public News Service