(Jefferson City, MO) The Missouri Public Service Commission’s Cold Weather Rule, designed to help customers with heat related utility bills, begins Wednesday, November 1st. The Cold Weather Rule applies to natural gas and electric utilities under PSC jurisdiction that provide heat related service. Municipally operated systems, cooperatives and those that provide propane delivered by truck, are not under PSC jurisdiction. Among other actions the Cold Weather Rule prohibits the disconnection of heat related service when the temperature is predicted to drop below 32 degrees during the following 24 hour period, provides more lenient payment terms permitting reconnection of service for natural gas and electric customers, and allows customers to budget payments over 12 months.
A customer may register with the utility if they are 65 years of age or older, disabled to the extent that they have filed with the utility a form submitted by a medical physician attesting that their household must have natural gas or electric utility service provided in the home to maintain life or health, or they have obtained a formal award letter issued from the federal government of disability benefits. For more information on the PSC’s Cold Weather Rule, please see the Commission’s website at psc.mo.gov or call the Commission’s Consumer Services hotline at 1-800-392-4211.