When you pay your utility bills this winter, you’ll likely notice a higher cost for natural gas.
Market costs for natural gas are nearly double what they were this time last year, according to Springfield City Utilities.
“There’s a high demand for natural gas. The supply isn’t quite as prevalent as it was maybe a couple of years ago just due to production issues," said CU spokesman, Joel Alexander, "so all that goes to the supply and demand economic curve of the cost is just going to go up.”
City Utilities purchases natural gas in several different ways to prepare for winter demand and price fluctuations. But Alexander said there will still be times when CU has to purchase natural gas on the open market.
Customers can help CU avoid that and reduce their own utility costs by lowering the amount of natural gas they use.
One way to prepare for the winter months is to add insulation.
CU has increased the Residential insulation Upgrade Rebate to 50 percent of the total cost of the upgrades up to $500 through February 2022. And rebates up to $75 are available on ENERGY STAR rated Smart Thermostats.
Other things homeowners can do are to check for air leaks and use sealant and caulk to fix them.
Turn down the thermostat on water heaters to 125 degrees and insulate them and water pipes.
And use cold water to wash clothes as much as possible.
You can find more tips here.