Villages in northern China struggle to stay warm as home heating costs add up

Nearly a decade ago, rural villages around Beijing fired up coal-fed heaters to keep the winter cold at bay. Now, the winter skies are much clearer following a government policy to switch from coal to natural gas and electric home heating. But in rural villages in Hebei province, some residents can no longer afford to stay warm after a series of government subsidies meant to offset higher costs were phased out.