Good news! Natural gas customers will save more than expected this heating season

We forecast that a typical residential customer will pay $150 less on their bills than last winter – 25 percent less! If we have normal winter weather from now until the end of April, the average customer would pay $446 this winter heating season. That’s the lowest heating cost we’ve seen in 15 years and about half of what that customer paid eight years ago.

You probably can think of a few ways to spend that extra $150, but we have some ideas that could also help you earn additional savings on your energy bill this winter and for the winters to come:

Install a programmable thermostat for your comfort and convenience. It can adjust the heat or air conditioning for times you typically are away (when you go to work) and again for times you typically are home. You also can program it to turn the heat down when you go to sleep and turn is back up before you wake in the morning. It adjusts automatically, so you don’t have to remember to do it.

Buy some caulk and weather stripping to seal cracks and gaps around windows, doors and siding. This prevents cost of heated or cooled air and improves the comfort of your home.

Schedule a tune-up for your furnace and air conditioner. Seasonal maintenance keeps equipment running safely and efficiently, and saves money in the long run.

The calculation to determine normal winter weather is based on the average of daily temperatures during the past 20 winter heating seasons.

Natural gas continues to be the most affordable and reliable home heating option. The abundant supply of natural gas this winter is due in large part to stable domestic production levels.