If you have a gas stove or water heater, you’re probably already paying a higher gas bill than you were a year ago. No one’s sure how high gas prices will go this winter when people use much more for heating their homes. Jennifer Golz with Nicor Gas says the company is involved with several programs that help people pay their bills. And payment plans can be made.
Golz says the price surge started after the February winter storm and continues because of an economic recovery. Some cuts in the supply and more demand push prices up. It’s affecting a price protection model that has been part of Nicor’s business plan for decades.
Nicor buys a lot of gas at lower prices in the summer and stores it in aquifers, including one near Troy Grove, until winter. Blending it with higher cost gas pumped in the winter moderates the customer’s price. That model will still pull the payments due down this winter, but customers may not think so. After last winter when the gas cost as little as 23¢ per therm, the 56¢ per therm summer price will be blended with gas that costs much more.
There may be things you can do to use less natural gas at your home and save money: Change the furnace filter regularly. Have a professional inspect and clean the furnace. Open the curtains to let the sun heat a room on sunny days. Close the curtains again at night. Turn the thermostat down a little. Put weather stripping on drafty windows and doors. And don’t let windows and doors stay open longer than necessary.