Anyone who has spent time in the south of China in winter knows what it feels like to stay indoors shivering, even with a down jacket. But despite increasing calls in the south for a public heating system, there are plenty of obstacles in the way.

It's cold here in Wuhan. And now there's a shortage of natural gas. The city has a shortfall of 600 thousand cubic meters of gas per day, and the government has had to start rationing supplies.

"Now we have this gas supply crisis. You can only buy 10 cubic meters per day. If that's not enough, you have to apply again because this in an extreme time."

People might need more, but most say they understand the problem.

"I can't use the heater very often"

"I can understand, it's just the government has no choice, we'll have to overcome our individual difficulties."

The shortage also affected the 80,000 people who have central heating. The heating was delayed for this family. And the 10 month old baby has recently caught a cold.

"We paid extra money for this apartment because it had central heating. But now I have to install a wall-mounted boiler for warmth. I can't wait any longer. "

Wuhan lies in the vast part of China's south where people feel the harshness of winter just as much as their northern neighbors. And in this year's freezing winter, people have had to resort to electric heaters. But they don't provide much heat, and they're expensive to run. In Shanghai, residential electricity use has reached a new record high.

The public is demanding central heating. But experts say that could cost more.

Wang Jinbai, associate dean of Env. School, Huazhong University of Science & Tech., said,"Technically, there is no problem in building the system. But if we consider energy saving, efficiency and environmental protection, I think the best way to solve the problem is to allow multiple heating methods. For instance: air conditioners, household- and unit-based, in addition to a central heating system. "

As incomes rise, people expect more, and that includes a warm home in winter. But standing in the way is the energy shortage. And with private heating still struggling, a central heating system seems unlikely to come soon.