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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.
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