When we have a stretch of cold weather like we are in right now, many of us wonder why we live in this state. When it reaches -60 wind chill and -25 degrees, even the hardiest of Minnesotans stay inside. It is always a good idea to check on the elderly and keep an eye on your pets.  Some individuals believe that during the cold, heat cannot be turned off. But, it might be if you don’t pay your heating bill or don’t have CWR insurance. You must establish and adhere to a CWR payment plan with your utility provider in order to keep your heat on all winter.

Cold Weather Rule in Minnesota

One thing that has helped out some people is the Cold Weather Rule.  According to that rule: “Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule (CWR) is a state law that protects residential utility customers from having electric or natural gas service shut off between October 1 and April 30. To protect your service from disconnection you must make and keep a payment plan that you and your utility agree on”. If any of your clients receive a disconnection notice, they must act immediately. In order to avoid disconnection, they must either pay their bill in full or call their energy company and enter into a payment plan.

The last thing you want during the winter is to lose power or heat at your home.  This is important because freezing weather can cause pipes to burst which causes serious water damage. If you lost power during the freezing time, your pipes can burst. One of the main reasons for a burst pipe is freezing cold weather. Water in the pipes starts freezing and blocking the water flow. This creates a massive pressure within a pipe which eventually burst to release the pressure. If a pipe burst happens within drywalls, you may not notice immediately. Once you discover a pipe burst, you may need professional help to dry out and restore the water damage.

That is why it is important not to lose power and warmth in your home. If it is necessary, you should benefit from CWR and you must keep the payment plan during CWR months in order to continue to receive protection from disconnection.  If you know anyone who is in need of this plan, please share this information with them. Also, it is crucial to know that all natural gas and electric utilities must offer CWR protection.

Keep in mind that preventing pipes from freezing in the first place is the best approach to avoid the hassles and problems brought on by frozen and broken pipes. Therefore prepare your home for winter to be warm and secure all winter long. Do not forget to apply for CWR protection. If you experience water damage in your home or business, you need to act fast. Because water damage can cause structural damage or mold growth.  Therefore, do not hesitate to call professional water damage restoration services.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.