NATURAL GAS PRICES TO SOAR - The Worst Is Yet To Come

(01/28/2001)

By Bob Weaver Dozens of local residents have complained about high heating bills, many of which doubled during super-cold December. Several Grantsville houses reported heating bills approaching $400. If they think this is hard, wait until next winter. Gas rates in West Virginia will skyrocket, like the rest of America. The average householder in America is already paying 70 percent more for natural gas. Home heating with oil is 40 percent higher. Most West Virginians have been spared the increases because the Public Service Commission negotiated three to five year agreements with the major distributors. All "frozen rates" will end by years end. The insult to fixed income and low income families in rural West Virginia, where much of the natural gas has been pumped out to America for years, will undoubtedly create a crisis with the budget, pay for heat, electric and gasoline - or eat. The old Hope Gas (CNG), now Dominion Hope, has already applied for a 39 percent increase. All sellers are expected to ask for hefty increases. Electric utilities are expected to increase rates and gasoline prices at the pump have risen nearly 50 cents a gallon in the past year. While natural gas prices have finally helped the producers, the customers will feel the pinch.

Hur Herald ®from Sunny Cal The information on these pages, to the extent the law allows, remains the exclusive property of Bob Weaver and Dianne Weaver The Hur Herald. All information may be freely used but must not be sold or used in any type of commercial endeavor, or used on any web site without the express permission of the owners ©Bob and Dianne Weaver, The Hur Herald, 1999, 2000, 2001