CenterPoint: Gas Bills Could Double This Winter

Evansville IN

15 October, 2021

3:25 PM

Description

By John Gibson, WNIN Oct. 15, 2021 CenterPoint Energy is warning that natural gas bills could nearly double this winter. The utility's Indiana South territory announced Thursday that customers may see significant increases due primarily to natural gas market conditions. CenterPoint predicts average bills of $146 a month, during the five-month heating season of November through March. By comparison, the company says last year's average gas bill during the same period was about $75 a month. In a release, CenterPoint Vice President Richard Leger cited a significant increase in natural gas prices and "bill adjustments" from a recently approved natural gas rate review. Leger says the adjustments cover needed natural gas infrastructure investments to ensure "safe and reliable natural gas delivery." CenterPoint Energy says utilities are not allowed to markup or profit from the purchase and sale of natural gas. CenterPoint offers a number of billing arrangements, and eligible households can apply for heating assistance here. WNIN is the NPR/PBS affiliate in Evansville, Indiana. We serve Southwestern Indiana, Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois from our multimedia facility located on the Ohio River in downtown Evansville. For the past several years, the recognized quality of our local news has placed us among the best small market radio news organizations in the nation.