Springfield’s City Utilities warns customers of natural gas prices doubling

By On Sep 30, 2021

SPRINGFIELD, Mon. (KY3) – Springfield Public Utilities anticipate the price of natural gas this year to double compared to last year.

City Utilities’ Joel Alexander says the average customer pays about $ 90 a month for natural gas usage. This year, that number is set to rise to $ 175 per month.

“The price we pay for natural gas is exactly the price that customers pay for natural gas, that is, dollar for dollar,” said Alexander.

The market price for natural gas at this point last year was $ 2.25 per million BTU. The current market price is 5.50 BTU.

Alexander says natural gas has a price he hasn’t seen in over a decade.

“The national market that exports the natural gas, the shortage of supply and just the market price volatility really create this demand problem that we have right now,” says Alexander.

Alexander says now is the time to take steps to try to bring these costs down.

‼ Natural gas prices are expected to be twice as high as last year. I

Regardless of whether you use natural gas to heat your house or only for a few appliances, by saving natural gas you save your electricity bill in winter.

Read the thread for our top 5 tips. pic.twitter.com/8S09NW2UNN

– Stadtwerke (@cityutilities) September 29, 2021

Some tips for preparing your home include things like lowering your water heater to 125 degrees and using your washing machine’s cold water setting.

“Find ways to seal off these drafts and windy spots,” says Alexander. “Seal the rooms where there may be drafts.”

Springfield homeowner Douglas Wheeler says his family originally chose to use natural gas because it was the cheapest option. But now he’s worried about his bills because his family has a steady income.

“When the price of natural gas goes up and we have to pay more for it, we have to look at other areas where we need to save,” says Wheeler.

If you install a smart thermostat, City Utilities gives you a $ 75 discount. However, if you have a regular thermostat, just a few degrees change can have a big impact on your wallet.

“Not only do you make it miserable, uncomfortable, but if you can bring it down, you save about two to three percent for every degree below the normal 68 degrees we recommend this time of year,” says Alexander.

If you insulate your home, City Utilities is offering a 50% cashback discount up to $ 500.

Alexander says that using space heaters can actually be more expensive than using natural gas.

For this reason, according to Wheeler, it is important to have a properly functioning and newer oven.

“Newer stoves are more fuel efficient and your dollars will surely go a little further and still get the heat you need,” says Wheeler.

City Utilities offers so-called “Level Pay”. It enables you to spread the costs over a year. That means you pay the same amount every month based on your bills for the past 12 months.

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