Free Republic

In a grim sign for consumers, Nicor Gas is expecting a major jump in bad debt because high natural gas prices could cause home heating bills to climb this winter.The company is asking the Illinois Commerce Commission to increase the amount of uncollectable bills it can charge its customers to $36 million from $8 million, effective next month. Nicor is allowed to shift the cost of unpaid gas bills to its other customers who are current with their own bills. "It is the high gas costs," said spokesman Don Ingle. [SNIP] "This month it is $1" a therm, Ingle said.

Something rotten in air -- but what? February 28, 2005 BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Staff Reporter The City of Big Odors lived up to its name Sunday as Chicagoans woke up, opened their doors and smelled something rotten. An invisible cloud of ... well, who-knows-what wafted across the city starting about 2 a.m. Sunday. Was it from the fire at BP Amoco's Whiting, Ind., plant Saturday afternoon? BP officials say that was not the cause of the smell. Winds of 10 to 15 mph out of the southeast gradually blew the stench through Chicago, up to northwest suburbs such as...