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All states · Electric and gas

How to check (and get access to) a parent's electric bill

By Dr. Matthew Crowley

· 15 min read

Checked against: the official prices in each of the 18 states it covers. How we get our prices

If you will see a parent over Thanksgiving or the holidays, set aside 20 minutes for their electric and gas bills. It isn't fun. But it's one of the most useful things you can do together.

Sales calls, door knocks and scam calls can aim at older adults. And a price that jumped months ago can hide on page two of a bill. This guide covers two jobs: checking the bill (Steps 1 to 4) and getting the access you need to help (Steps 5 and 6). It works wherever your parent lives.

You'll compare the bill with the utility's own standard price. We list it for each utility, for example on the Ohio Price to Compare page, the Pennsylvania Price to Compare page and ComEd and Ameren's Price to Compare.

Before you start

  • Ask first. Say something like, "Would you mind if we looked at the electric bill together? I keep reading about prices going up." Make it a team job, not a test.
  • Gather the bills. The last few months is good. A full year is better. If bills come by email or online, sign in together.
  • Grab a pen and a notepad. You'll write down a few names and numbers.

Step 1: Find the supplier, if there is one

In most states, every bill comes from the utility, the company that owns the wires or pipes. But the price for the electricity or gas itself may come from a supplier, a different company.

Look at the supply part of the bill. The Citizens Utility Board in Illinois puts it simply: look at the Supply sections of the bill. If another company is listed there, check what supply price you're paying. The same idea works in every state Judy covers.

In Texas, and in Georgia for gas, it's the other way around: the company your parent buys from sends the bill, and the wires company or Atlanta Gas Light only delivers. Every Texas home bill prints a line called "The average price you paid for electric service this month." That's the number to write down.

Write down the supplier's name, if there is one. If your parent doesn't remember signing up, read Switched to a supplier without saying yes?.

Step 2: Compare their price with the standard price

Write down the price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) they pay for supply. Then find the utility's standard price. That's what the utility charges if you never pick a supplier. Your parent's bill may call it the Price to Compare, Standard Offer, Basic Service or another name. For gas, the gas company has its own standard price too.

You can see today's standard prices on your parent's state page: start from their state, like Ohio, Pennsylvania or Illinois, or every state Judy covers. If your parent's price is much higher, that is often the cause of a high bill.

In Texas and Georgia there is no standard price. Everyone buys from a company they pick. There, the question is whether a different plan would cost less at your parent's own use, and that's what the free check at the end works out.

Step 3: Look for a price that jumped

Line up a few bills side by side. Did the supply price change from one month to the next? A jump often means an intro price ended or a contract renewed at a higher price. See Your intro electric price is ending.

Autopay can hide this. If the bill is paid on its own, nobody looks at it. Autopay is fine to keep. Just plan to glance at one bill a month, or ask your parent if you can get a copy.

Step 4: Check the mail pile

Look for letters from a supplier or the town. Watch for words like "contract expiration," "renewal," "options notice" or "opt out." These letters have short deadlines. Write the dates on a calendar.

If you find a welcome letter from a company your parent just signed up with, act fast. Every state gives a short window to cancel a new sign-up for free, or tells you to ask the company how long you have. The table at the end has the window for each state.

Step 5: Get a copy of shutoff notices

This one step can prevent a crisis. Most states' rules let a customer name a third party who gets a copy of shutoff notices. You can be that person. The table near the end of this guide shows the rule in each state.

  • Getting the notices doesn't make you responsible for the bill. The rules say so.
  • It's a copy of the notices, not a way to make changes to the account.
  • But you'll know if something is wrong while there's still time to fix it.

Your parent asks the utility how to name you. Most utilities use a form or a written request.

Step 6: Get permission to talk about the account

You call your parent's electric company about a strange charge, and hear: "I'm sorry, I can only speak with the account holder." That's frustrating. It's also there to protect your parent.

Utilities guard account details closely. In Ohio, for example, the state's rules say an electric utility can't share a customer's account information without the customer's consent, and they spell out how that consent must be given, in writing or in a verifiable electronic form. Other states have rules of their own, and utilities add their own policies on top.

So the answer isn't to argue with the person on the phone. It's to get the right permission in place.

Permission to talk about the account is separate from getting copies of notices. It lets the utility discuss the account with you, and in some cases lets you make requests for your parent.

Each utility does this its own way. Some may be able to add you while your parent is on the phone. Others may need a signed form. Ask your parent's utility which form it uses, and whether someone with a power of attorney can sign it.

How to do it:

  1. Make the call together. Use the number on the bill. Put the phone on speaker.
  2. Have the bill and your parent's ID handy. The utility will check that it's really your parent.
  3. Your parent says: "I'd like to add my son (or daughter) to my account so you can talk with them about it. What do you need from me?"
  4. Ask what it covers. Can you ask about charges? Set up a payment plan? Sign up for budget billing? Change the supplier?
  5. Write down the date, the name of the person and any reference number.

Do the same with the gas company if your parent has gas. They're separate accounts.

If your parent can't give permission

If your parent can no longer make these decisions, you'll usually need legal papers, such as a power of attorney or a guardianship order. Ask the utility what papers it accepts and where to send them. An elder law attorney or your local Area Agency on Aging can explain your options.

Suppliers have their own accounts

If your parent buys electricity or gas from a supplier, that company has its own customer service. Utility permission doesn't carry over. To ask a supplier about a contract, a price or a fee to leave, your parent may need to give that company permission too.

In Texas, and in the Atlanta Gas Light area of Georgia, the company your parent buys from sends the bill itself. So that company is the one to call about the price, and the wires or gas company is the one to call about outages and leaks.

What not to do

  • Don't put the account in your name just to make calls easier, unless you mean to take over the bill. You'd be the one responsible for paying it.
  • Don't sign up for a supplier "for" your parent without legal authority. The rules on who can agree to a switch are strict. In Massachusetts, the customer must sign, or say yes to an independent checker for the company. In Michigan, only the person whose name is on the gas account can sign up for a gas plan, and a spouse can't do it for them. In Pennsylvania, the customer must authorize a switch. A sign-up by the wrong person can cause a mess to sort out.
  • Don't share the account number with anyone who calls or knocks. Not even to "check a discount." (In Texas, the number to guard is the ESI ID on the bill.)

Step 7: Ask about help that fits

  • Budget billing spreads payments more evenly across the year. Most utilities offer it, and some states' rules require it. Ask when you can join and when the settle-up month is.
  • Medical needs. If your parent uses medical equipment at home, or a shutoff would be dangerous to their health, ask the utility about a medical certificate. Where the state allows one, a doctor or other approved health professional fills it out, and it can stop a shutoff for a while.
  • Help with heating bills is open to many older adults. See Winter shutoff rules and bill help.
  • Paperless bills sent to you too, if the utility offers it.
  • A do-not-contact list. Some utilities keep one. In Ohio, your parent can ask the utility to stop sharing their contact details with energy sellers. In Maryland, a customer can ask to be put on the utility's Do Not Transfer list, and then companies can't sign them up or sell to them. Ask what your parent's utility offers.

Step 8: Have the scam talk

Keep it short and kind. Three rules cover most of it:

  1. The real utility won't ask to be paid by gift card, payment app, wire transfer or cryptocurrency. The Federal Trade Commission says, "Never pay anyone who demands payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app, or gift cards."
  2. Don't show the bill or read the account number to anyone who calls or knocks. The Ohio Consumers' Counsel tells people not to share their utility bill or account number with energy sellers. That advice holds in every state: the account number is the key a seller needs to switch someone.
  3. When in doubt, hang up and call the number on the bill. Or call you. Agree on one rule: "If anyone calls about money for the bills, hang up and call me." The Federal Trade Commission explains more in Scammers pretend to be your utility company (opens a new tab).

Put the utility's real number, and your number, on a sticky note by the phone.

Step 9: Run the numbers together

You don't have to work out the best choice on your own. Run the free bill check together. Take a photo of the bill with your phone. I'll find the supplier's price, compare it with the standard price and the offers listed for your area, and tell you what I'd do. I'll send the result to the email you enter, so you can keep it.

Judy Saves is independent. I don't sell electricity or gas, and I'll never call your parent or knock on their door.

A one-time check is good. A regular check is better. When a family member joins Judy Saves, I keep watching the offers for their area, email when they could pay less, and send a reminder before a contract ends.

The rules in your parent's state

Type your parent's ZIP code on the Help page to open their state's page: how switching works, the warning signs of a pushy seller, and who to call. Or go straight to the Ohio, Pennsylvania or Illinois page. Two facts worth knowing. First, whether your parent can name you to get copies of shutoff notices (Step 5). Where the answer is "ask," the utility may still offer it. Many do.

| State | Can you name someone to get a copy of shutoff notices? | | --- | --- | | Connecticut | Yes. Any customer can name a third person to get copies of every notice about ending service. | | Georgia (gas) | No state rule. Ask your gas company whether it offers this. | | Illinois | Yes. State rules let a customer name a third party to get shutoff notices. The request is made in writing. | | Indiana (gas) | No state rule. Ask NIPSCO whether it offers this. | | Kentucky (gas) | No state rule. Ask your gas company whether it offers this. | | Maine | Yes. Tell the utility in writing. The third party gets disconnection notices and outage notices too. | | Maryland | Yes. The utility must tell you about it, and must send shutoff notices to the person you name. | | Massachusetts | Yes. State rules let a customer name a third person to get termination notices. | | Michigan (gas) | Yes. The person you name can get bills and shutoff notices. You both sign a form. | | New Hampshire | You can name a third-party contact for communications about your account. Ask your utility how. | | New Jersey | Not in the state's customer bill of rights. Ask your utility whether it offers this. | | New York | Yes. The third party must agree in writing. They can call the utility for you but don't owe the bill. | | Ohio | Yes. State rules let a customer name a third party to get shutoff and late-payment notices. | | Pennsylvania | Yes. State rules let a customer name a third party to get shutoff and late-payment notices. | | Rhode Island | Yes, if every adult in the home is 62 or older, or someone in the home has a disability. | | Texas | No rule. Ask your electric company whether it offers this. | | Virginia (gas) | No state rule. Ask your gas company whether it offers this. | | Washington, DC | Yes. Ask for a copy of each disconnection notice to go to the person you name. |

In every state, the person you name is not responsible for paying the bill.

Second, for the mail pile: how long your parent has to cancel a new plan for free.

| State | Time to cancel a new plan for free | | --- | --- | | Connecticut | 3 days after signing up. The company must wait that long before it tells the utility. | | Georgia (gas) | No set rule. Ask the company, and write down the answer. | | Illinois | Electric: 10 days after the utility's letter. Gas: 10 business days after the gas company's letter. | | Indiana (gas, NIPSCO) | 5 business days after you get the company's written terms, if you signed up by phone or email. Call the company. | | Kentucky (gas) | No set rule. Ask the company. | | Maine | At least 5 days after you get the new company's first bill. Tell the company. | | Maryland | 3 business days if they signed at the door. Otherwise, ask the company. | | Massachusetts | 3 business days after the company's terms arrive. | | Michigan (gas) | 30 days from the day they signed up. | | New Hampshire | At least 5 days after signing up (5 to 11, depending on how they signed). | | New Jersey | 7 days after the utility's letter. Tell the utility. | | New York | 3 days after the agreement arrives. | | Ohio | Electric: 7 days after the utility's letter. Gas: 7 business days. Call the utility. | | Pennsylvania | 3 business days after the plan papers arrive. Tell the new company. | | Rhode Island | 3 business days from the day they signed up. | | Texas | 3 business days after the plan papers arrive. | | Virginia (gas) | 10 days after your gas company mails its notice. Tell the gas company. | | Washington, DC | 3 days after signing. |

What to do next

Sources

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