By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The city of St. Louis is giving Heat Up St. Louis $100,000 to help those struggling with heating bills. It's the fourth year the city has given the grant to the non-profit group.
Mayor Francis Slay it's especially important to help this year because natural gas and oil costs are going up.
"It's hard to really quantify the extent of the problem, and I think a lot of it will depend on the weather this winter," Slay said Thursday.
"But I will tell you that the need is out there, and there's a lot more need than resources to deal with, so we really do need a lot of help."
Slay says he's also asking a group he created called the Affordable Housing Commission to give the organization $250,000 more this winter. The commission has already provided more than $300,000 toward heating assistance.
COLD WEATHER RULE
Meanwhile, Missouri's attorney general says his office is ready to enforce the state's Cold Weather Rule.
The state law prevents utility companies from shutting off service when the temperature is forecast to drop below freezing within a 24-hour period. It also requires utilities to give a 10-day notice before disconnection.
"[People] should feel free to pick up the phone and dial 1-800-392-8222," Nixon noted. "We will make sure Missourians' rights under the Cold Weather Rule are aggressively enforced."
Nixon says he's also looking into whether natural gas distributors are complying with pricing rules.