Furnaces are running and snow is not far off in St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, St. Joseph, Waite Park and the rest of Stearns and Benton counties. Whether you own, rent, or just closed on a home, here are the winter rules and programs worth knowing now: Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule, help with heating bills, and St. Cloud’s winter parking and sidewalk rules.
Cold Weather Rule: shut-off protection through April 30
Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule runs from Oct. 1 through April 30. It protects residential electric and natural gas customers from having their heat shut off for unpaid bills, but the protection is not automatic.
- Call your utility and set up a payment plan. To stay protected, you have to make the payments the plan calls for.
- Lower-income households: If your household income is at or below 50% of the state median income, the utility cannot require you to pay more than 10% of your household income toward current and past-due heating bills.
- Delivered fuels are not covered. Propane, fuel oil and wood are outside the rule, but state law requires propane dealers to offer budget payment plans.
- Questions or disagreements: The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s Consumer Affairs Office can help if you and your utility can’t agree on a plan.
Help paying heating bills
The Minnesota Energy Assistance Program, run by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, helps eligible households pay part of their heating costs. It is open to both homeowners and renters, income limits depend on household size, and it can help with propane, fuel oil and other delivered fuels too.
In Stearns and Benton counties, the program is handled by Tri-CAP in Waite Park, which takes applications for the 2026–2027 season online or on paper. Tri-CAP’s energy program also lists crisis help for disconnections and fuel deliveries and emergency heating system repair. Call 320-251-1612 or visit tricap.org.
St. Cloud winter parking starts Nov. 1
St. Cloud’s winter parking rules take effect Nov. 1 and stay in place through April 1, whether or not it snows.
- Odd/even areas: Overnight street parking from 1 to 7 a.m. depends on your side of the street and the calendar date.
- Seasonal ban areas: No street parking from 1 to 7 a.m.
- Snow emergencies: A declared snow emergency lasts 72 hours unless the city ends it sooner. Vehicles parked against the rules can be ticketed and towed, and the owner pays the towing and impound costs.
Check the city’s winter parking map and rules to see which rule applies on your street. Sartell, Sauk Rapids, St. Joseph and Waite Park set their own winter parking rules, so check with your city.
Shovel sidewalks within 24 hours
St. Cloud property owners must clear public sidewalks next to their property within 24 hours after a snowfall ends. That means the full width of the sidewalk on every side of the property, with ice removed down to the pavement and treated with salt or sand if needed. Corner properties also need to clear curb cuts and crosswalks to the street gutter. Snow can’t be shoveled into the street or alley. If a sidewalk isn’t cleared, the city can do the work and bill the property owner.
Buying, selling or just moved in?
- Our fall home prep checklist covers furnace checks, carbon monoxide alarms and radon testing.
- Bought a home this year? Apply for homestead by Dec. 31. See our homestead deadline guide.
Sources: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission: Shut-Off Protection and Sept. 30, 2026, news release; Minn. Stat. 216B.096; Tri-CAP Energy Assistance; Benton County; City of St. Cloud winter parking, snow emergency and sidewalk pages; KNSI (winter parking); KNSI (sidewalks). Checked Oct. 18, 2026.
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