Minneapolis Star Tribune. The new year brought with it bad news for Minnesota natural gas customers. If you paid $190 for natural gas in December, you can expect your January bill to jump to $280.

Short supplies and colder than normal weather have driven the wholesale cost of natural gas up 58 per cent between December and January. Last January the average customer paid $110 to use the same amount of gas.

Ed Legge, a spokesman for Excel Energy, Minneapolis, said higher prices will be reflected in increases for most of its budget helper customers, who are evaluated every three months. An average increase of $40 per month is expected for Reliant Energy Minnegasco customers enrolled in the budget plan. Kim Rezek, director of contract services for the Department of Economic Security's Energy Assistance Program, said almost 53,000 Minnesotans had received or applied for heating grants, crisis assistance or emergency repair grants. That's 11% higher than last year.

At the beginning of the heating season, the federally funded program had $42.5 milion in its bank account, but additional infusions of cash from the government's contingency fund has increased the total to $90 million.

There's plenty of money available for people who need it, Rezek said, but she's worried about what might happen if cold weather and high prices continue through March and April. "That's when the rubber will hit the road in terms of how much money will be available,"" she said. She's also concerned about how higher energy prices will affect renters, who are likely to face rent increases if landlords have to covere higher heating bills.

-- John Littmann (littmannj@aol.com), January 06, 2001

Answers

As a Minnesota resident, I find this appalling! Where's this global warming stuff when you need it. Two years ago, I finished raking my leaves on Christmas Eve; this year, we had 30 inches of snow and sub- zero temperatures (never mind the wind chills)

Won't you help? -- Go out and buy an SUV today! Minnesotans will thank you.

-- E.H.Porter (Just.wondering@about.it), January 07, 2001.