NC: Cold fact: Natural gas prices to jump

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

Posted at 12:09 a.m. EDT Sunday, August 27, 2000

Cold fact: Natural gas prices to jump By JON GOLDBERG Though it's tough to think about now, with high temperatures around 90, many Charlotte area residents can expect heating bills to spike this winter.

The culprit: higher natural gas prices across the nation.

"At this point, we are looking at higher bills this winter," said Steve Conner, a spokesman for Charlotte-based Piedmont Natural Gas. "But it could turn around quickly."

A mild winter could help offset the expected jump in natural gas prices for customers of Piedmont Natural Gas, PSNC Energy and York County Natural Gas - the three main providers in the Charlotte region.

PSNC Energy, which has 90,000 customers in Cabarrus, Gaston and Iredell counties, estimates the steeper costs will add $150 to the average customer's annual bill. PSNC and Piedmont Natural Gas already have warned customers about possible higher bills through a newsletter inserted in monthly bills.

The U.S. Energy Department cautions that the prices utilities pay for natural gas are expected to jump by more than 50 percent from last winter. The increases would be passed on to customers.

The Energy Department blames the higher costs on lower production levels and increasing demand.

For residents who heat their homes with electricity, a Duke Energy spokeswoman said a frigid winter would be the lone major factor for widespread higher bills because heaters would have to run longer.

http://www.charlotte.com/observer/0827gasheat.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), August 27, 2000


Moderation questions? read the FAQ