Cost of keeping homes warm heating up
Oct. 23—The recent cold snap had many in town turning up their thermostats, an action that's liable to cause some sticker shock when the bill arrives next month.
Data from the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association states home heating costs will reach the highest level in more than 10 years, with families paying 17.2% more this winter. Most homes are heated with natural gas, and those prices have gone up mainly due to the conflict in Europe.
Jason Merrill, a spokesman for Spire, said while natural gas prices have risen, he is hopeful costs will not be as high as anticipated.
"Over the past (few) months ... natural gas costs in the United States have dropped dramatically," Merrill said. "Now, that's not to say that there would not be an increase on customers, but it is appearing that it will not be as significant as what was previously anticipated."
Despite an increase, natural gas is still the most affordable way to heat a home. Data by the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts with average winter weather, it will cost $931 to heat a home with natural gas throughout the winter. This is up 28% compared to last year.
Heating oil will cost $2,354, up 27%; propane will cost $1,668, up 5%; and electricity will cost $1,359, up 10%. Gina Penzig, manager of external communications for Evergy, said electricity rates have stayed flat for several years and prices will depend on how much energy it takes to heat a home.
"A lot of it will depend on how cold the winter is and how that might drive usage," Penzig said.
Penzig said Evergy is waiting for a decision from the Missouri Public Service Commission regarding a rate request. The proposal would not increase base rates but would capture some fuel adjustments. Later this fall, Spire plans to file a purchase gas adjustment with the commission.
"Natural gas is not something that utilities like Spire profit off of. That is a straight pass-through, dollar for dollar," Merrill said. "What we pay is what a customer pays, so there is no markup on that."
Merrill said natural gas prices increased in 2021 after winter storm Uri impacted costs around the country. When Russia invaded Ukraine, prices spiked all across the globe. He said as long as no new large-scale events occur, prices should begin to flatten out.
"Barring anything unforeseen like that, as we've seen prices continue to go down, we anticipate that there would not be another situation like that," Merrill said.
Both officials said some measures can be taken to decrease the cost of heating a home, including sealing up all cracks, getting annual maintenance, changing air filters and lowering the thermostat a degree or two.
Merrill said if any natural-gas users have questions or concerns, they can call Spire and an employee will be happy to help. Evergy has many programs available on its website that are aimed at helping customers save on their electricity bills.
Morgan Doyle can be reached at morgan.doyle@newspressnow.com
