It is February though and the losses you will face from frozen pipes are much higher than getting stuck with a gas bill. 

I also drank water from my toilet 2 months ago when my pipes were frozen.

You have lots of extra expenses due to the cold weather like plowing, sanding, frozen pipes, or even shoveling the roof after a major snowstorm! 

I've found good help to deal with things like frozen pipes, frozen lock boxes, can't open the frozen front door (found these from business cards on the restaurant walls). 

What is sad is how I'm not all that surprised, a few years ago I had my bank accounts frozen because of a judgment against my dad's business.

The house had been vacant for at least two years, so the electric panel was rusted through, the gas lines had been disconnected and the water pipes had frozen and burst.

I know that there are tons of other ways to handle this, but I just can't get past the "frozen mind set" that I fall into. 

Rentals went 100% vacant what do you do.. no renters in sight.. no one buying anything.. credit frozen.. 

The tenant was on month-to-month so after the two sewer backups and even 4 days before this his claim the refridgerator quit and ruined $1000 worth of food and wanted reimbursement (The fridge was working and some packaged food in the back was frozen solid, it appeared unfrozen food was purposely stocked before I got there), I asked him to leave at the end of the month.

There's frozen blood coming from the dogs mouth.....