Increase in natural gas prices

**peanut** · 08-17-2008, 11:40 PM

are scheduled locally. We heat with natural gas. Our bills run from $20 - 350/mth., depending if it's summer or winter. The utility wanted a 45% increase! The government has convinced them to lower their request. They backed down to a 25% increase! OUCH! It's a government owned utility, so it will be interesting to see what they allow in the end... Meanwhile I'm looking at ways to conserve gas in an 80 year old house.

Jean

**Ms. Clear** · 08-18-2008, 12:55 PM

Our rate went up too. However, we only use natural gas in the dryer and in the stove/oven, so it was only a dollar extra or so. More motivation to use the clothes rack in the winter though.

Doesn't seem to matter how you heat these days, it's ALL going up.

**jettsmom** · 08-18-2008, 01:04 PM

My gas bill doubled. I'm on level pay. I was paying about $75/month, then they lowered it only to double it now. Wish they'd left it at $75, it would have been such a shock.

I only use it to heat the house and water.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-18-2008, 01:36 PM

It's bad enough when our utility bill hits $280 in the winter time. I can't imagine another 25% on top of that for just natural gas alone. Hopefully, ATCO will still do the natural gas rebate program because ugh, that's just horrid.

**Kellili** · 08-31-2008, 08:23 PM

The just announced ours is going up 20-24%, we use Nat. Gas for water heat and house heat. Our bill is through KUB, and we have water, sewer, gas, and elec. all on one bill. It can be outrageous.

**quiltergirl** · 08-31-2008, 08:35 PM

Actually ours should be going down. The gas company put in for a rate increase and went ahead and started charging the new rate. The state denied the increase so we actually got a small refund -- we ended up not paying anything this month.

**frugalfoster** · 08-31-2008, 10:01 PM

I'm curious....how high does your natural gas bill get during the worst months??? I live where the weather is moderate and I still pay (with the expected increase) $250 a month. That is for heat only....I also pay $150 a month for electricity.. What are you guys paying??

**MomToTwoBoys** · 08-31-2008, 10:31 PM

At least here in Calgary, during the worst months, we pay about $280 a month for electricity and natural gas. Our hot water heater is natural gas, as is our furnace, but our furnace is getting pretty old and in need of replacement. Winters here usually aren't that cold and we only get a week or two where it dips into the -40C range, but it does get pretty cold early on in the winter and we end up spending $280 or more in those months.

The natural gas part of that bill is about half, which means about $140 a month for natural gas.

**peanut** · 08-31-2008, 11:16 PM

Well our worst month last year was $233 and our best was $16. It averages out to $100/mth. We heat water and house with that. I'm expecting a better year for usage this year because we replaced basement windows and the back door. They used to leak like sieves. Should be warmer this winter.

Jean

**zakity** · 08-31-2008, 11:34 PM

I am near Portland. I pay about $30 - $50 a month for gas heat. We have a tiny house and we have a wood stove that we use to heat the house.

As for electric, we pay about $70 a month (usually a little less) in the summer and about $80 to $85 in the winter.

**HandyMom** · 09-01-2008, 02:05 AM

My highest bills are in the winter because of the gas furnace and I have gas everything - stove, water heater and dryer,too. My highest bill was $250 with the thermostat below 70 in the winter. Electric is part of that, too.

**frugal is fun** · 09-29-2008, 11:57 AM

I use gas for hot water and heat. I live in CT and my highest bill last year was $270. BUt I had just moved into a new apartment and I had no idea what my bills were going to be. I then set my thermostat for a steady temp of 60, up to 67 from 3:30pm to 9pm and then back down to 60. After that it kept getting lower and lower.

Now, during the summer months my gas bill for hot water only is $55.61, which in my opinion is high. I just found this site so for the past two weeks I've been doing my laundry in cold water, taking shorter showers and only do dishes in hotwater. I hope to see my bill drop before I have to turn the heat on.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 10-22-2008, 08:31 PM

Ours are supposed to go up in January...AGAIN.

Though we don't pay the bill directly, our rent is directly based on it. And when it goes up, our rent will go up shortly after.

**YankeeMom** · 10-23-2008, 07:58 AM

Our budget plan went up about $20/month. We now pay $291/month all year round. It's really not a hardship to pay that much even in the summer because before the budget plan, our bills were STILL $160-ish in the summer months. With no heat on, using the clothesline outside to dry clothes, not using a/c, etc. Our bill includes natural gas (heat, stove, hot water heater) and electric (lights, dryer, two chest freezers, two full sized refrigerators, etc) for 6 people in a 125yr old house with original windows...all 50+ of them

We keep our thermostat at 59-62*F and use a woodstove to supplement.

**stinkbug** · 10-23-2008, 12:24 PM

Ours went up 18%.....which means my level pay went up 25.00 a month. Still better than outrageous bills in the winter, this way it is budgeted the same all year and not a problem. We have gas heat/water/stove. (3300 sq ft.)