Cold Weather Rule Begins Sunday

(Farmington) The Missouri Public Service Commission’s Cold Weather Rule, designed to help customers with heat-related utility bills, begins Sunday.

The rule will remain in effect through March 31st.

The Cold Weather Rule applies to natural gas and electric utilities under P.S.C. jurisdiction that provide heat-related service like Ameren Missouri.

Municipally operated systems, cooperatives and those that provide propane delivered by truck are not under P.S.C. jurisdiction.

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.

It provides more lenient payment terms permitting reconnection of service for natural gas and/or electric customers.

It allows customers to budget payments over 12 months and it requires customers be notified by mail 10 days before the date the utility intends to shut off service, plus a few other rules.

For more info on the Missouri P.S.C.’s Cold Weather Rule, go to psc.mo.gov.