LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. — Missouri residents facing unpaid heating bills will receive expanded protection from utility shutoffs beginning Nov. 1 as the state’s Cold Weather Rule takes effect for the winter.
Under the law, heat-related utility service cannot be disconnected when temperatures are forecast to fall below 32 degrees between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. during the following 72-hour period.
The protection previously relied on a 24-hour forecast. Senate Bill 4, passed in 2025, extended that window to 72 hours, giving families more protection when freezing weather is approaching…