Critical Care Residential Customer & Chronic Condition Designation

Administered by Public Utility Commission of Texas · puc.texas.gov

Texas regulatory protection (not a payment program) that prevents electric utilities from disconnecting service to households where a person depends on an electric-powered medical device to survive (Critical Care) or has a chronic medical condition requiring electric-powered care (Chronic Condition). Requires a physician to complete a designation form annually. Critical Care customers cannot be disconnected for non-payment. Chronic Condition customers receive 63 days of disconnection delay (vs 10 days standard) to arrange payment. Especially valuable in Texas given extreme summer heat and winter storms (Uri 2021). Applies to all Texas Public Utility Commission-regulated electricity providers.