A turn-off notice, cut-off notice, or shut-off notice is a warning letter sent out by the provider of a service for a residence or other building, such as utility

Public utility

A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...

, phone service

Telecommunication

Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...

, or cable television

Cable television

Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...

, that if payment is not sent by the date indicated in the notice, the service will be interrupted. Turn-off notices, which are sent after a regular bill

Bill (payment)

A bill or invoice is a document requesting payment for an order previously supplied. Presentation of a bill is common practice on the part of credit card companies, utilities, and other service providers...

 has been sent, but may resemble a bill, are generally sent several days to weeks before the planned date, giving the customer a sufficient amount of time to make a payment that would avert the interruption.

Turn-off notices are often sent to those who are economically struggling, thereby having difficulty paying their bills on time, the absent-minded who are able to afford their bills but are disorganized in making timely payments, and to those who are out of commission to pay bills due to personal unforeseen circumstances, such as illness.

In some cases, the turnoff notice may be necessary to obtain government or private aid in paying the bills.

Many turn-off notices encourage the customer to make a payment by some method other than the postal service

Mail

Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...

 to ensure that the payment is received before the cut-off date. Some methods of payment that are commonly accepted include check or credit card

Credit card

A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...

 over the phone or online, or payment at the main office or a satellite location of the service provider, which may charge a fee for accepting the bill.

Averting the turnoff

It is not uncommon for a customer who receives a turnoff notice to panic or to attempt to avoid

Avoidance

Avoidance is a 2002 novel by Michael Lowenthal. It was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award in 2003.Avoidance explores the topics of child sexual abuse, hebephilia and pederasty...

 the provider while silently dealing with the matter. But the general recommendation is to contact the service provider, which may be willing to grant an extension or otherwise work with the customer to keep payments up to date

For certain types of utilities, such as heating, limited assistance may be available in some places to help customers pay their bills

Moratoriums and laws

Some local governments have placed temporary moratoriums on utility turnoffs under certain conditions, such as cold weather, the presence of a child, elderly, or sick person, or political controversies.

Some places have laws prohibiting or restricting certain turnoffs altogether. In the U.S. state of Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

, the law prohibits utilities from turning off service in a residence where a child or dependent elderly person lives, though proof of this is required.