Prepare to be shocked by heating bills (nat. gas bills 30-50% higher in Midwest)

NickB79

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Jul-21-08 01:56 PM
Original message

Prepare to be shocked by heating bills (nat. gas bills 30-50% higher in Midwest)

Edited on Mon Jul-21-08 01:57 PM by NickB79

"Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy are warning customers that their natural gas bills could be 30 to 50 percent higher this winter now that a glut of stored-up gas has been sold off.

Price increases are already being seen by those on budget plans that spread their costs over the year, because they essentially buy their natural gas in advance.

Gilbert Tornes of south Minneapolis got a 75 percent increase in his natural gas bill from CenterPoint Energy."

http://www.startribune.com/business/25650879.html?location_refer=$urlTrackSectionName

The New England states are having a heating oil crisis, while we in the Midwest are having a natural gas crisis. This is going to be a hard, hard winter on a lot of people.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

tridim

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Jul-21-08 02:02 PM
Response to Original message

1. And now we know T. Boone Pickens' plan.

Make a shitload of profit on natural gas speculation.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

madokie

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Jul-21-08 02:02 PM
Response to Original message

2. We use wood pellets and I am worried about that too

greedy people have greedy ways so I suspect there will be found a way to increase the profits there too.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

On the Road

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Jul-21-08 02:12 PM
Response to Original message

3. Baltimore Gas & Electric Raised Rates 75% Last Year

Don't know if there's another hike in the works. It has indeed been a shock.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

predfan

(769 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Jul-21-08 02:19 PM
Response to Original message

4. It appears to me that the day of inexpensive energy ( other than passive solar

Edited on Mon Jul-21-08 02:22 PM by predfan

and rural wood stoves) is pretty much over. Corporations are going to make as much as they can regardless. The difference is, IMO, keeping energy expenses in house. If we can just keep American dollars in America.

The problem is that, without some oversight, those corporations will simply shift product to the most profitable place. In the first four months of this year, for example, American EXPORTS of refined fuels was up something like 33% over last year. If our problem is supply and demand, then the multinationals are making sure the supply is short by exporting more gasoline.

We've got to get the oilmen out of the White House.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

elocs

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Jul-21-08 02:45 PM
Response to Original message

5. Xcel already raised my monthly budget payment last month by 30%,

so I think I have a bunch of the increase covered already. I do not heat with natural gas, though, all electric.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Tue Apr 30th 2024, 03:23 PM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.