(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes no electric, electric distribution, gas, telephone or water company, no electric supplier or certified telecommunications provider, and no municipal utility furnishing electric, gas, telephone or water service shall cause cessation of any such service by reason of delinquency in payment for such service (1) on any Friday, Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday or day before any legal holiday, provided such a company, electric supplier, certified telecommunications provider or municipal utility may cause cessation of such service to a nonresidential account on a Friday which is not a legal holiday or the day before a legal holiday when the business offices of the company, electric supplier, certified telecommunications provider or municipal utility are open to the public the succeeding Saturday, (2) at any time during which the business offices of said company, electric supplier, certified telecommunications provider or municipal utility are not open to the public, or (3) within one hour before the closing of the business offices of said company, electric supplier or municipal utility.

      (b) (1) From November first to May first, inclusive, no electric or electric distribution company, as defined in section 16-1, no electric supplier and no municipal utility furnishing electricity shall terminate or refuse to reinstate residential electric service in hardship cases where the customer lacks the financial resources to pay his or her entire account. From November first to May first, inclusive, no gas company and no municipal utility furnishing gas shall terminate or refuse to reinstate residential gas service in hardship cases where the customer uses such gas for heat and lacks the financial resources to pay his or her entire account, except a gas company that, between May second and October thirty-first, terminated gas service to a residential customer who uses gas for heat and who, during the previous period of November first to May first, had gas service maintained because of hardship status, may refuse to reinstate the gas service from November first to May first, inclusive, only if the customer has failed to pay, since the preceding November first, the lesser of: (A) Twenty per cent of the outstanding principal balance owed the gas company as of the date of termination, (B) one hundred dollars, or (C) the minimum payments due under the customer’s amortization agreement. Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes to the contrary, no electric, electric distribution or gas company, no electric supplier and no municipal utility furnishing electricity or gas shall terminate or refuse to reinstate residential electric or gas service where the customer lacks the financial resources to pay his or her entire account and for which customer or a member of the customer’s household the termination or failure to reinstate such service would create a life-threatening situation.

      (2) During any period in which a residential customer is subject to termination, an electric, electric distribution or gas company, an electric supplier or a municipal utility furnishing electricity or gas shall provide such residential customer whose account is delinquent an opportunity to enter into a reasonable amortization agreement with such company, electric supplier or utility to pay such delinquent account and to avoid termination of service. Such amortization agreement shall allow such customer adequate opportunity to apply for and receive the benefits of any available energy assistance program. An amortization agreement shall be subject to amendment on customer request if there is a change in the customer’s financial circumstances.

      (3) As used in this section, (A) “household income” means the combined income over a twelve-month period of the customer and all adults, except children of the customer, who are and have been members of the household for six months or more, and (B) “hardship case” includes, but is not limited to: (i) A customer receiving local, state or federal public assistance; (ii) a customer whose sole source of financial support is Social Security, Veterans’ Administration or unemployment compensation benefits; (iii) a customer who is head of the household and is unemployed, and the household income is less than three hundred per cent of the poverty level determined by the federal government; (iv) a customer who is seriously ill or who has a household member who is seriously ill; (v) a customer whose income falls below one hundred twenty-five per cent of the poverty level determined by the federal government; and (vi) a customer whose circumstances threaten a deprivation of food and the necessities of life for himself or dependent children if payment of a delinquent bill is required.

      (4) In order for a residential customer of a gas or electric distribution company using gas or electricity for heat to be eligible to have any moneys due and owing deducted from the customer’s delinquent account pursuant to this subdivision, the company furnishing gas or electricity shall require that the customer (A) apply and be eligible for benefits available under the Connecticut energy assistance program or state appropriated fuel assistance program; (B) authorize the company to send a copy of the customer’s monthly bill directly to any energy assistance agency for payment; (C) enter into and comply with an amortization agreement, which agreement is consistent with decisions and policies of the Department of Public Utility Control. Such an amortization agreement shall reduce a customer’s payment by the amount of the benefits reasonably anticipated from the Connecticut energy assistance program, state appropriated fuel assistance program or other energy assistance sources. Unless the customer requests otherwise, the company shall budget a customer’s payments over a twelve-month period with an affordable increment to be applied to any arrearage, provided such payment plan will not result in loss of any energy assistance benefits to the customer. If a customer authorizes the company to send a copy of his monthly bill directly to any energy assistance agency for payment, the energy assistance agency shall make payments directly to the company. If, on April thirtieth, a customer has been in compliance with the requirements of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of this subdivision, during the period starting on the preceding November first, or from such time as the customer’s account becomes delinquent, the company shall deduct from such customer’s delinquent account an additional amount equal to the amount of money paid by the customer between the preceding November first and April thirtieth and paid on behalf of the customer through the Connecticut energy assistance program and state appropriated fuel assistance program. Any customer in compliance with the requirements of subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of this subdivision, on April thirtieth who continues to comply with an amortization agreement through the succeeding October thirty-first, shall also have an amount equal to the amount paid pursuant to such agreement and any amount paid on behalf of such customer between May first and the succeeding October thirty-first deducted from the customer’s delinquent account. In no event shall the deduction of any amounts pursuant to this subdivision result in a credit balance to the customer’s account. No customer shall be denied the benefits of this subdivision due to an error by the company. The Department of Public Utility Control shall allow the amounts deducted from the customer’s account pursuant to the implementation plan, described in subdivision (5) of this subsection, to be recovered by the company in its rates as an operating expense, pursuant to said implementation plan. If the customer fails to comply with the terms of the amortization agreement or any decision of the department rendered in lieu of such agreemen