What notice is required before my electricity is disconnected?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
For non-payment, the ERC's Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers requires the distribution utility to serve a written disconnection notice at least forty-eight (48) hours before it cuts your service. The notice must reach you before disconnection, giving you time to pay or dispute the bill. If you were disconnected without that written 48-hour notice, that is a violation you can raise with the utility and escalate to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). Keep the notice, your payment proof, and any dispute you filed.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
How much advance notice must the utility give?
At least 48 hours' written notice before disconnection for non-payment, under the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers.
What if I never received a disconnection notice?
Disconnection without the required written notice is a Magna Carta violation. If you can show you did not receive a statement of account or the disconnection notice, you have grounds to contest the cut and demand reconnection; escalate to the ERC if unresolved.
Can I stop disconnection by paying part of the bill?
Paying the undisputed amount and formally disputing the rest before the deadline is the safest way to avoid a cut over a contested charge. Keep proof of payment and of your written dispute.
Take action
Got a similar problem?
File a complaint and we'll pre-fill BSP, SEC, DTI, and small-claims letters for you.
Your rights on mobile, internet, electricity, and water — slow or undelivered broadband and rebates (NTC), billing disputes and overcharges, the notice required before disconnection and the days you cannot be cut off, prepaid load validity, SIM deactivation under the SIM Registration Act, electricity bill-deposit refunds and meter errors (the ERC Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers), and how to escalate past your provider to the NTC, ERC, or MWSS.