Electric disconnections in Maine, 2024
Maine ranks 26th of 51, 1st being the highest rate. The Maine total is 37,824 disconnections on about 728,150 accounts, 4.2 per 100 below the U.S. rate of 9.4. It also counts 372,136 final-notice events. Events, not homes: an account cut off twice counts twice.
Maine month by month
Maine: October peaked at 6,961 disconnections, March bottomed at 3. Per 100 Maine accounts the monthly rate ran from 0.00 (December) to 0.95 (October). Maine averaged 0.00 a month in December to February and 0.74 in June to August: summer ran 1226.6 times winter.
Maine disconnections per month, 2024
- 5Jan
- 5Feb
- 3Mar
- 1,558Apr
- 4,939May
- 6,870Jun
- 2,917Jul
- 6,298Aug
- 5,841Sep
- 6,961Oct
- 2,423Nov
- 3Dec
| Month | Maine final notices | Maine disconnections | Maine reconnections | Maine accounts | Maine per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2 | 5 | 1 | 725,337 | 0.00 |
| February | 2 | 5 | 1 | 725,982 | 0.00 |
| March | 2 | 3 | 1 | 726,538 | 0.00 |
| April | 36,576 | 1,558 | 1,127 | 727,058 | 0.21 |
| May | 62,198 | 4,939 | 4,262 | 727,489 | 0.68 |
| June | 50,877 | 6,870 | 5,857 | 727,986 | 0.94 |
| July | 59,618 | 2,917 | 2,927 | 728,487 | 0.40 |
| August | 57,154 | 6,298 | 5,909 | 729,140 | 0.86 |
| September | 53,630 | 5,841 | 5,529 | 729,292 | 0.80 |
| October | 46,220 | 6,961 | 6,819 | 729,623 | 0.95 |
| November | 5,855 | 2,423 | 322 | 730,055 | 0.33 |
| December | 2 | 3 | 5 | 730,809 | 0.00 |
| Year | 372,136 | 37,824 | 32,760 | 728,150 (mean) | 5.19 (yearly) |
Scale Maine to your town
Statewide rate for Maine: 5.19 per 100. A single utility can sit far from it.
Maine utilities that reported
Maine: 4 utilities reported. They sum to 37,441 of the 37,824 disconnections in the state total; Central Maine Power Co alone reported 33,158 (88%).
2 Maine utilities have 5,000+ accounts and twelve months of data. Their rates run from 3.2 (Versant Power) to 5.6 (Central Maine Power Co) per 100.
| Maine utility | Disconnections | Avg accounts | Per 100 | Final notices | Reconnections | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Maine Power Co | 33,158 | 589,868 | 5.6 | 292,460 | 29,253 | 12 of 12 |
| Versant Power | 3,496 | 109,130 | 3.2 | Not published | Not published | 12 of 12 |
| Eastern Maine Electric Coop | at least 653 (7 months) | Not published | No rate | Not published | Not published | 7 of 12 |
| Houlton Water Company | at least 134 (8 months) | Not published | No rate | Not published | Not published | 8 of 12 |
Maine against its neighbours
Maine sits in the New England division. Its 5 division peers average 2.8 per 100; the highest is Connecticut at 4.3 and the lowest Rhode Island at 1.5. Maine is 2.4 above the division average.
| Maine borders | Rank of 51 | Per 100 | Gap to Maine | Times Maine | Final notices per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 44th | 3.0 | -2.2 | 0.57x | 31.0 |
Closest in the ranking to Maine: Indiana 5.9, Nebraska 5.2, Colorado 5.2, District of Columbia 4.9.
How firm the Maine number is
Maine response rate: 98.4% weighted by size, 80.0% by count. Utilities reported 37,441; EIA's adjustment is +383 (+1.0% of 37,824). Largest monthly relative standard error, Maine: 13.4%. EIA flags no Maine month. Flag codes and method.
Shutoff rule read for Maine
| Maine rule | What the text says |
|---|---|
| Cold weather | Winter Disconnection Period Nov 15 through Apr 15: utility may not disconnect any residential customer without prior permission of the PUC's Consumer Assistance and Safety Division (CASD), allowed only if customer rejects or breaks payment arrangements or cannot be contacted. Special Payment Arrangements offered. |
| Hot weather | no season or temperature ban found in the text read |
| Protected customers | Section 11: utility may not disconnect or refuse to reconnect a residential customer when the customer or an occupant is certified by a physician (or agent/designee) to have a medical emergency; at least 3 business days pending certification; certification protects for the period specified or 30 days, whichever is less (at least 30 days if unspecified); no more than 3 certifications per premises in 12 months. |
| Notice before disconnection | Section 10: residential customers get written notice at least 14 calendar days before the disconnection date for nonpayment; notice cannot issue until 30 days after the bill was mailed; disconnection date not Friday, weekend, holiday or day before a holiday; notice effective 10 business days. |
| Payment plans | Section 9: utility must continue service if customer enters a payment arrangement for the balance and pays future bills; winter Special Payment Arrangements (customers may pay less than full bills) must be offered. |
| Complaints | Maine PUC Consumer Assistance and Safety Division, toll-free 1-800-452-4699 (as printed in Chapter 815 notice text). |
Read: 65-407 CMR Chapter 815, Consumer Protection Standards for Electric and Gas T&D Utilities, Sections 10 (disconnection) and 11 (medical emergency), checked 2026-10-02. Electric and gas transmission and distribution utilities subject to PUC jurisdiction (not competitive electricity suppliers per definition read).
Not legal advice; check your Maine notice.
Help in Maine
Maine LIHEAP eligibility as listed: Heating, Cooling & Crisis: 60% State Median Income (10+ Households at 150% Federal Poverty Line) Weatherization: 200% Federal Poverty Line.
Maine benefits as listed: Heating: $88 minimum, $1,012 maximum Crisis: $500.
Programs named for Maine: Low-Income Assistance Program (LIAP); Central Maine Power; Unitil; Versant Power.
- Maine LIHEAP office, phone 877-544-3271
- Clearinghouse snapshot, Maine
- Maine: help with your bill
What this means for you in Maine
- Maine had 372,136 final notices and 37,824 disconnections: 10 disconnections per 100 notices. A notice is not a disconnection.
- Maine reconnections ran at 87 per 100 disconnections. The data give no time to restore.
- Cold-weather rule in Maine, as we read it: Winter Disconnection Period Nov 15 through Apr 15: utility may not disconnect any residential customer without prior permission of the PUC's Consumer Assistance and Safety Division (CASD), allowed only if customer rejects or ... October was the busiest Maine month by count.
- To contest a Maine notice: Maine PUC Consumer Assistance and Safety Division, toll-free 1-800-452-4699 (as printed in Chapter 815 notice text).
- Cannot pay in full? Ask your Maine utility for a payment plan, then the LIHEAP office above.
More
Sources
Form EIA-112, Residential Utility Disconnection Survey, calendar year 2024, EIA release page (released 2026-04-14, file retrieved 2026-10-07). Utility file: electric utility-level workbook; report: 2024 Residential Utility Disconnections Report. Monthly CSV
Questions
How many electric disconnections were there in Maine in 2024?
37,824 in Maine, of which utilities reported 37,441. That is 5.2 per 100 accounts, 26th of 51.
Does 5.2 per 100 mean 5% of Maine homes lost service?
No. The 37,824 Maine disconnections are events; a home cut off twice counts twice. EIA gives no count of distinct Maine homes.
Which month had the most disconnections in Maine?
October, with 6,961. March had 3.
How many Maine utilities have a yearly rate?
2 of 4. The rest left a month blank or share a name with another row.