The leaves are coming down across Stearns and Benton counties, and the first real cold is not far behind. Whether you own your home, rent, or are getting a house ready to list, late October is a good time to cover a few winter basics. Here is a checklist, plus two Minnesota rules every household should know.
Know the Cold Weather Rule
Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule runs from Oct. 1 through April 30. It helps protect residential customers from having their natural gas or electric service shut off during the winter if they fall behind on bills.
- It is not automatic. You have to contact your utility, set up a payment plan and keep making the payments to stay protected.
- Renters can qualify if the utility account is in their name and the gas or electricity is the main heat source.
- Delivered fuels are not covered. Propane, fuel oil and wood are outside the rule. If your furnace runs on electricity, the Public Utilities Commission says to ask your electric company about protection.
- Households at or below 50% of the state median income cannot be required to pay more than 10% of monthly household income toward current and past-due heating bills under a plan.
Questions go to your utility or the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s Consumer Affairs Office. Details are on the PUC shut-off protection page.
Check your carbon monoxide alarms
Furnaces, water heaters and fireplaces work hardest in winter. Minnesota law requires every single-family home and every unit in a multifamily building to have an approved, working carbon monoxide alarm within 10 feet of each room used for sleeping. It is also against state law to remove the batteries from a required alarm. Test yours now and replace any that are past the date printed on the unit.
A quick fall checklist
- Furnace: Swap the filter and schedule a tune-up before the first deep cold snap.
- Outdoor water: Disconnect garden hoses and drain outdoor faucets so they do not freeze and split.
- Gutters: Clear leaves so melting snow can drain away from the foundation.
- Drafts: Check weatherstripping on doors and caulk around windows.
- Vents: Keep furnace and dryer vents clear of leaves now and snow later.
- Snow gear: Make sure the snowblower starts and the shovels and ice melt are where you can find them.
Selling or buying this winter?
Buyers and inspectors look closely at heating systems, windows and safety devices, so a serviced furnace and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are worth having in place before a showing. If you are buying, ask the seller for recent furnace service records and look at past utility bills to get a feel for winter heating costs.
- Market check: See our September Stearns and Benton home sales report.
- Bought this year? Apply for homestead by Dec. 31. See our homestead deadline guide.
- First-time buyer? Read our guide to Minnesota Housing’s Start Up program.
Sources: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Shut-Off Protection and its Sept. 30, 2026 Cold Weather Rule news release; Minnesota Department of Commerce October 2026 program bulletin; Minnesota Statutes section 299F.51 (carbon monoxide alarms); Minnesota State Fire Marshal, carbon monoxide detection guidance. Checked Oct. 25, 2026.
Market figures and rates change often and are for general information only. Contact a licensed professional for advice on your situation.
Equal Housing Opportunity. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation.
Please confirm details yourself with the official source before acting on them.
Music by illuminet: Watch “Beloved (God Bless the Little Ones)” by For Him In Stealth on the illuminet Creative YouTube channel.
0 Comments