If you cannot pay your winter heating bills, contact one of these locations for energy assistance help.

KOOTASCA ENERGY ASSISTANCE
1213 SE 2nd Ave
Grand Rapids MN 55744
218-327-6711
800-422-0312

BI-COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL
P.O. Box 579
Bemidji, MN 56601-0579
218-751-4631

ITASCA COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES
Itasca County Courthouse
123 NE 4th St
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
218-327-2941

KOOCHICHING COUNTY FAMILY SERVICES
615 4th St
International Falls, MN 56649
218-283-8405

LEECH LAKE ENERGY ASSISTANCE
Rt. 3 Box 100
Cass Lake, MN 56633
218-335-8292

NOTE: if you are 60 or older and live in northern Itasca County, you may also contact Cindy Brummer of the Home Visitor program at (877) 674-2491 to seek funding sources.

216.B097 Cold weather rule, cooperative or municipal utility

1. A municipal utility or a cooperative electric association must not disconnect the utility service of a residential customer during the period between Oct. 15 and April 15 if the disconnection affects the primary heat source for the residential unit when the following conditions are met:
   1. the customer has declared inability to pay on forms provided by the utility. For the purposes of this clause, a customer that is receiving energy assistance is deemed to have demonstrated an inability to pay;
   2. household income of the customer is less than 50 percent of the state median income;
   3. verification of income may be conducted by the local energy assistance provider or the utility, unless the customer is automatically eligible for protection against disconnection as a recipient of any form of public assistance, including energy assistance that uses income eligibility in and amount at or below the income eligibility in clause (2);
   4. a customer whose account is current for the billing period immediately prior to Oct. 15 or who, at any time, enters into a payment schedule that considers the financial resources of the household and is reasonably current with payments under the schedule; and
   5. the customer receives referrals to energy assistance programs, weatherization, conservation, or other programs likely to reduce the customer’s energy bills.
2. A municipal utility or a cooperative electric association must, between Aug. 15 and Oct. 15 of each year, notify all residential customers of the provisions of this section.

Before disconnecting service to a residential customer during the period between Oct. 15 and April 15, a municipal utility or cooperative electric association must provide the following information to a customer:

1. a notice of proposed disconnection;
2. a statement explaining the customer’s rights and responsibilities;
3. list of local energy assistance providers;
4. forms on which to declare inability to pay; and
5. a statement explaining available time payment plans and other opportunities to secure continued utility service.

Subdivision 3. Restrictions if disconnection is necessary.

1. If a residential customer must be involuntarily disconnected between Oct. 15 and April 15 for failure to comply with the provisions of Subdivision 1, the disconnection must not occur on a Friday or on the day before a holiday. Further, the disconnection must not occur until at least 20 days after the notice required in Subdivision 2 has been mailed to the customer or 15 days after the notice has been personally delivered to the customer.
2. If a customer does not respond to a disconnection notice, the customer must not be disconnected until the utility investigates whether the residential unit is actually occupied. If the unit is found to be occupied, the utility must immediately inform the occupant of the provisions of this section. If the unit is unoccupied, the utility must give seven days’ written notice of the proposed disconnection to the local energy assistance provider before making a disconnection.
3. If, prior to disconnection, a customer appeals a notice of involuntary disconnection, as provided by the utility’s established appeal procedure, the utility must not disconnect until the appeal is resolved.