FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Advocates gathered at the Kentucky Capitol on a cold December day to demand that state leaders protect residents from having their electricity shut off during winter months. The coalition of nearly 40 organizations wants Kentucky to join 42 other states that already prohibit power disconnections when temperatures drop.
The "Leave the Heat On" collective organized the rally to urge Governor Andy Beshear to issue an executive order implementing an immediate moratorium on utility disconnections through March 2026. The groups are also pushing for lawmakers to codify the protection into state law.
The coalition cited recent government shutdown confusion, lack of statewide weather-related protections, and ongoing uncertainty around long-term funding for federal programs impacting housing stability, including HUD, SNAP, and LIHEAP, as reasons for immediate action.
"A lot of states have temperature-based disconnection protection," said Cara Cooper with Kentuckians for Energy Democracy.
Cooper said some Kentucky residents have had their power disconnected during the coldest months over amounts as low as $9. Cooper said while utility companies claim they don't disconnect power during winter, there's no legal protection preventing them from doing so in Kentucky.
"What we've heard from utility companies across the board is 'Well we don't need any legislation, we don't need any policy because we already don't disconnect people when the weather is cold or when the weather is hot,' but the data that we have shows that there are thousands of disconnections," Cooper said. "Like over 9,000 disconnections in January alone of this year - when we know the average temperature was about 30 degrees."
The coalition emphasized that a reprieve from the recent government shutdown doesn't change the dire situation many people face this winter amid rising electricity and other costs. They argue no one should have to choose between groceries, buying medicine, or keeping the heat on.
The groups emphasized they're not seeking debt forgiveness for unpaid bills. Customers would still be required to pay their utility bills, but advocates want to ensure power stays on when temperatures are at their lowest.
"We're not saying let's forgive people's debts. We're saying let's give people some breathing room and make sure that nobody dies in their home this winter because they can't afford their electric," Cooper said.
Cooper stressed the urgency of implementing these protections after years of little progress through the state legislature.
"It's time. Let's do this. Every minute that we wait, every month that we wait, every cold weather season and hot weather season that we wait, more people are unprotected," Cooper said.
