If the $12,000 is someone else's utility debt, there are strong consumer-protection sources saying you usually cannot be forced to pay it just to start or restore your own service. The fastest path is usually to dispute liability in writing, give the utility proof of your move-in date and identity, ask for supervisor review or a consumer-affairs escalation, and file with the state utility regulator if the utility still blocks service. In parallel, apply for emergency energy assistance and ask about a payment plan or arrearage-forgiveness program for any charges that are actually yours.
Georgia's ConsumerEd states a broad rule that is directly on point: "a tenant in a residential property who has no connection to a previous occupant is not responsible for paying the utility bills attributed to the previous occupant's use." It also says that, for at least some regulated electric utilities, service may not be denied because of the previous tenant's unpaid bill.
Source: https://consumered.georgia.gov/ask-ed/2016-11-02/can-utility-company-charge-me-previous-tenants-bills
Maine's Pine Tree Legal Assistance gives the clearest statement of the basic liability rule: "If you did not live with the previous resident, and if you did not get any benefit from their utility service, you are not responsible for their utility debt." That same page adds an important procedural protection: after opening your account, the utility must give a "seven day notice" before transferring a previous resident's debt to your new account, so you have a chance to challenge it.
Source: https://www.ptla.org/can-electric-company-charge-me-someone-elses-debt
Legal Services of Long Island gives a concrete example of the same principle in practice: "PSEG cannot require you to pay the landlord's back payment in order to keep your service, as long as you stay current on the bill." It also notes "special safeguards" for households with certain medical conditions or health emergencies.
Source: https://legalservicesli.org/shlr-can-my-utilities-be-shut-off/
New Jersey's residential-customer rights page is useful because it lays out hard numbers and timelines you can ask for from a regulated utility. It says you are "entitled to at least one deferred payment in one year," must receive a written shutoff notice "ten days prior to the discontinuance of service," and eligible households are protected by the Winter Termination Program between "November 15th and March 15th." It also says service may not be terminated for non-payment of disputed charges during a BPU investigation.
Source: https://nj.gov/njpowerswitch/rights/general/
Mass.gov adds practical reconnection leverage. Its utility FAQ says residential customers on investor-owned electric or gas utility payment plans "will remain protected from shut-off as long as they make payments under the payment schedule." It also tells customers who received a shutoff notice to call immediately and ask about "payment plan[s], arrearage forgiveness programs and other payment assistance programs."
Source: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/frequently-asked-questions-about-electric-and-gas-utilities
For emergency help, USAGov says: "The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can help you pay your heating or cooling bills or get emergency services during an energy crisis." It also says some locations may help with electric bills, not just heating bills.
Source: https://www.usa.gov/help-with-energy-bills
If the utility is trying to collect a prior tenant's, prior owner's, landlord's, ex-partner's, or roommate's $12,000 balance from you, the key factual question is whether the utility can tie you to that debt. The sources above repeatedly distinguish between a person with no connection to the old account and a person who lived there, benefited from the service, or was otherwise linked to the prior customer.
That means your strongest facts are usually:
If any of those facts are muddy, the utility may try to argue the debt is connected to you. The Maine source is especially useful here because it frames the issue around "connection" and "benefit," not just whose name appeared on the old bill.
1. Tell the utility in writing that you dispute liability for the $12,000 because it is not your debt.
2. Attach proof: lease or deed, move-in statement, closing papers, ID, and any prior utility confirmation showing when you took possession.
3. Ask the utility to identify exactly whose name the old account was in, what service dates the balance covers, and why it believes you are legally responsible.
4. Ask for the matter to be escalated to a supervisor, collections review, or consumer-affairs team while service restoration is reviewed.
5. If any part of the balance is genuinely yours, ask immediately for a deferred-payment arrangement, arrearage-forgiveness program, or other payment assistance.
6. File a complaint with your state public utility commission or public service commission the same day if the utility refuses to restore service pending review.
7. Apply right away for LIHEAP or your state's emergency energy-assistance program and tell the agency the electricity is already off.
8. If someone in the home has a medical condition or health emergency, tell both the utility and the regulator immediately and ask for the medical-emergency protections available in your state.
The most useful phrases from the sources are narrow and concrete. The Georgia and Maine sources are strongest if the debt is plainly someone else's. The New Jersey and Massachusetts sources are strongest if the utility says some amount is yours but you need a payment structure to avoid or reverse shutoff. The LIHEAP source matters because it gives you a parallel path to money while the liability dispute is being reviewed.