Judge blocks changes to cold weather rule

Responding to complaints from some utilities, a judge has temporarily blocked changes to Missouri's cold weather rule that were intended to help people with overdue natural gas bills.

The revised rule was to take effect Sunday. But the order by Cole County Circuit Judge Thomas Brown will prevent that in most, if not all, of Missouri. There was some confusion Friday about the scope of the order.

The judge scheduled a hearing Wednesday on whether to continue to prevent enforcement of the rule changes.

Utility regulators say the changes are needed because, with winter approaching, an unusually high number of people already lack heat or face disconnection because they have not paid last year's bills.

The cold weather rule, in effect annually from Nov. 1 through March 31, prohibits disconnections when temperatures drop below 30 degrees, allows people unable to pay their full bills to make reduced payments and sets easier criteria for re-establishing gas and electricity connections.

The state Public Service Commission voted 2-1 last week to add more safeguards for residential customers.

The rule changes would require utilities to reconnect customers who pay 25 percent of their delinquent tab or $250, whichever is less. Other changes give customers 18 months to pay their delinquent balance, instead of the current 12 months.

Missouri Gas Energy and Atmos Energy Corp. challenged those provisions, as well as the hearing process used by the PSC.

The utilities also challenged the revised rule because it only allows for the possibility -- and does not guarantee -- that utilities will be able to recoup costs of implementing the rule changes.

Atmos Energy serves about 110,000 customers in parts of northeast and southeast Missouri, including through its subsidiaries of Associated Natural Gas, United Cities Gas and Greeley Gas Co., the PSC said. Missouri Gas Energy serves about 500,000 customers in the Kansas City area and western Missouri.

Dan Joyce, the general counsel for Public Service Commission, said the judge's order only blocks the rule changes for customers served by those two utilities.

But Missouri Gas Energy said the judge's ruling applies to all natural gas companies.

A spokesman for Laclede Gas Co., which did not challenge the rule, said that company also interprets the judge's order to apply to everyone. Laclede is the state's largest natural gas supplier, serving about 630,000 customers in the St. Louis area and southeast Missouri.