Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
If your utilities get shut off, you can apply to have them turned back on by a public utility company. A public utility is one regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission. This includes investor-owned utility companies. It does not include municipal or cooperative utility companies. Many homes in downstate Illinois do not have public utilities.
If you do have public utilities, follow the steps below to begin the application process.
Select which utility company you will use. This is based on what is available in your area or what is most affordable. Below is a list of available companies to choose from.
After you select the utility company you want to use, find their application form. You can do this by searching the name of the utility company on Google. After the search, locate the official website. Then find the "forms" tab on their page.
In order to apply for a public utility, you will need to follow the company's application process. The utility company may require 2 forms of ID. One form must be a government-issued photo ID. For the second form, you may choose:
- Social Security Number;
- Birth certificate; or
- Banking information.
The utility cannot require a specific form of ID.
Note that someone else might try to use your name to apply without your approval. If you deny the service, the company cannot bill you. However, if you live and receive mail at the service address, you must contact the utility within 6 months of service. You must also tell the company you did not apply for service, and you do not want service in your name. Otherwise, it will be presumed that you agreed to the service.
A public utility may not deny you one type of service because of a bill for another type of service.
If you are eligible for reconnection, the utility company must turn on your services within a few days. Learn more about the utility companies timeline for reconnecting services.
Legal Comment
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
Only logged-in users can post comments. Please log in or register if you want to leave a comment. We do our best to reply to each comment. We can't give legal advice in the comments, so if you have a question or need legal help, please go to Get Legal Help.