Cold weather and high natural gas prices could make more Missourians than normal vulnerable to having their heat shut off this winter. The Public Counsel, which advocates for consumers before the Public Service Commission, has proposed some emergency changes in the Cold Weather Rule. Public Counsel Lewis Mills Junior has been in talks with utilities about the proposal, and says the utilities are worried about piling on bad debt. Mills has proposed the PSC loosen regulations regarding heat shut off, including changes made in 2001 when hundreds of Missourians were cut off when they couldn’t pay unusually high bills the previous Winter. Mills says he will talk with utilities this week about a compromise to address their concerns.