We Energies Bills To Rise In Winter Due To Natural Gas Shortages

WISCONSIN — We Energies announced Monday that Wisconsinites will see higher bills in the winter due to a nationwide spike in natural gas prices.

The average customer will pay $25 more per month in winter in 2021 than in 2020, Brendan Conway, a spokesperson for the company, told Patch . The prices will begin going up when customers turn up their thermostats in November and until they lower them again in March.

The following are low cost or no cost solutions to keep heating bills down.

• Turn down your thermostat. "Every degree matters," Conway said. "You can turn it down and leave your house safely, like when you go shopping or on a day trip."
• Get your furnace looked at by a pro. Annual maintenance ensures getting the most efficiency out of a home's heating system.
• Seal up older homes. Using caulk or weather strips on doors or putting plastic over windows can insulate old houses.

The company offers heating assistance guidance through its website for customers who risk falling behind on their bills. The State of Wisconsin also offers heating assistance to residents based on their income.

Rising prices are due to a worldwide event with different factors, Conway said. Contributing factors included a natural gas shortage, severe weather in the Gulf Coast where oil is extracted, an unusually hot summer that drove up demand for energy, and massive worldwide demand for natural gas.

Natural gas is a pass-through expense, which means We Energies doesn't earn a profit on the gas it purchases for customers, the company said.