Renters' heat off, on, in dispute over bill

Heat is included in the rent that Stephanie Jaggers and neighbor Tim Poe pay every month.

So when the gas was shut off last week in their unincorporated Des Plaines apartment building because of unpaid bills, they felt left in the cold.

Last Wednesday, Nicor workers shut off the gas after the utility posted a notice at the building saying about $11,000 was owed.

Service was briefly restored the next day but shut off again Friday. Two of 10 buildings in the complex are affected, according to Nicor. Each building has six units, residents say.

Both Jaggers and Poe have turned to space heaters to warm their apartments in the Crestwood Condos complex, south of Central Road just east of the Tri-State Tollway.

"We're all freezing," Jaggers said Monday.

Jaggers' 14-year-old son has asthma, so she sent him to stay at a friend's home until the heat returns at her building, 10061 Linda Lane.

Poe, who has two young daughters, also says it's a hardship.

"It's awful. We have no hot water," Poe said.

A Nicor spokesman cited confidentiality for declining to discuss what led to the gas shutoff. Gas service will resume today, spokesman Richard Caragol said. He didn't explain why the gas would be restored.

"It's between the management company and the tenants," Caragol said.

The management company couldn't be reached for comment.

According to the National Weather Service, average temperatures have ranged between the mid-30s and low-40s since last Wednesday. A low of 24 degrees was recorded about 5 a.m. Friday at nearby O'Hare International Airport when the heat was still on.

Illinois utilities are allowed to shut off gas for unpaid bills if they give notice. But gas cannot be shut off for nonpayment if temperatures of 32 degrees or lower are forecast.

Between Dec. 1 and March 31, gas may be shut off only in rare cases because Illinois law aims to protect residents from cold weather.