Duncan points out that this could be a harbinger of serious trouble:

CHICAGO — Hundreds of thousands of utility customers are at risk of disconnections as the sagging economy drives up the number of past-due home heating bills and the amounts owed, utility companies in cold-weather states say.

Xcel Energy says 17%-19% of its 1.1 million Minnesota customers and its 280,000 Wisconsin customers are in arrears. That’s about the same as a year ago, but balances owed are up 10% in Minnesota and up 20% in Wisconsin, says Pat Boland, Xcel’s credit policy manager.

Xcel disconnects 600-650 customers daily, he says. “Obviously the economy is playing a very big role in the disposable income that folks have,” Boland says. Another factor: Cold weather added 7%-8% to this year’s bills.

By the way, my phone was shut off yesterday but in a nice change of pace, it wasn’t about cash flow. I’d signed up for Verizon’s paperless billing but wasn’t getting any bills. When I got a voice mail message Monday saying I was in arrears, I spent three days trying to work my way through voice mail hell, but to no avail - because I didn’t have the three-digit code that would have been on my bill - if I’d been getting my bill, that is.

After the first hour on the phone, I Googled to find a Verizon executive and called his office. Apparently I’m not the first person to do this, since they have a couple of full-time staffers (actual live people!) to take these pissed-off callers.

“Ma’am, did you know you could pay that online?” she said sweetly.

That’s when I lost it. “I can’t log into my online account. They still have me listed at my old phone number and they do not show my current balance. I can’t pay by phone because I’m lacking the code to authorize the payment, I can’t open a new online account because they left me a voicemail message with a login code that 1) I can’t understand because it’s garbled and 2) I can’t access anyway because, as I may have mentioned, YOU SHUT OFF MY PHONE. You know, this is why everyone I know switches to Comcast - because as bad as they are, Verizon is even worse and I have to wonder why I still use you.”

It only took another hour to straighten out the rest, but at least I got to talk to live people and my phone was turned back on.

I’m just grateful to have a paycheck, as long as it lasts. Think of all those people who can’t pay their bills.