Natural gas prices to rise by 10 percent

The causes were spelled out on a screen with charts, graphs, definitions and acronyms by state officials using terms specific to those who deal with energy consumption principles.

But the end result is simple: Your natural gas bill will be about 10 percent higher this winter.

Representatives from different state agencies came to Cape Girardeau Wednesday as part of a statewide public education tour to warn people that higher natural gas prices are right around the corner.

Delegates from the Missouri Public Service Commission, the Department of Natural Resources, the East Missouri Action Agency and utility company AmerenUE attended the meeting at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center.

The meeting was twofold. One part was to explain the problem. The other part of the meeting addressed some solutions.

The problem stems from a simple economic principle. In a few months, when the weather turns cold, the demand will be high, as usual, but the supply will be low.

Natural gas reserves nationally are at a five-year low. Natural gas is stored underground in various places around the country because, without the reserves there is not enough to keep up with midwinter demand for natural gas. The PSC does not expect a gas shortage this winter, just higher prices.

The mild summer has helped the situation somewhat. Electric companies that use natural gas for their power source have not needed to use as much. That has allowed storage injections to be very strong this summer.

Still, Warren Wood, energy department manager for the PSC, said residents in Southeast Missouri should brace for an increase of about 10 percent, which is much less than parts of northern Missouri where it gets colder and stays cold longer.

The government does not regulate the wholesale purchasing of natural gas so there's not much that can be done about the gas prices that have skyrocketed in the last few years.

Saving money

However, there are ways to save money by making a home more energy efficient, said Anita Randolph, director of the DNR's energy center. And there is also financial help available to low-income families with the East Missouri Action Agency.

The EMAA has two programs to help low-income families deal with getting heat in the winter.

The first is a weatherization program that is funded by the DNR and AmerenUE. An energy "audit" is done to the home to see what improvements could be made to lower monthly natural gas bills.

Services include sealing air leaks, installing insulation, repairing or replacing primary windows and doors or replacing heating systems.

Historically, priority has been given to households including elderly, handicapped and families with small children.

The second program is the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program where the government gives recipients a one-time grant for the winter. The program starts at the end of October and runs through March.

Both programs are only eligible to those who meet certain financial guidelines. For the weatherization program, a family of four can net no more than $27,600 per year; a single-person household can make no more than $13,470. For the LIHEAP program, the guidelines are $23,000 per year for a family of four and $11,225 for one person.

For those who don't meet those requirements, Randolph made several suggestions to keep utility bills low this winter.

"What these people don't realize, is that a lot of the people here have gone through this year after year and have already done those things," said Lloyd West, who was at the senior center more for social reasons than to attend the meeting.

Still, West's card-playing partner, Herb Morie, said talks like the one Wednesday are good to remind people to conserve energy.

"It just jogs your mind so you'll be cognizant of saving energy, turning the water heater down a bit, turning the thermostat down a bit," he said. "And that benefits everybody."

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635