Buffalo, NY (WBEN) National Fuel says the upcoming winter season may mean a slight uptick in your monthly bill. The utility estimates this winter's heating bill will be $10 per month for the average customer.
"With the warmer temperatures and limited snowfall, last winter's average residential customer bill totaled $493. With forecasters predicting a more typical Western New York winter that is being labeled "more wet than white," National Fuel officials are estimating that bills may total in the range of $542 for the five months of winter," says the utility in a statement. The five months of winter are November through March.
"Virtually all of the natural gas used currently by our customers in their homes and businesses is domestically produced in the Northeast from neighboring states and safely transported through interstate pipelines," said Karen L. Merkel, spokesperson for National Fuel. Merkel says National Fuel's geographic proximity to multiple pipeline capacity systems and abundant local natural gas production of Marcellus and Utica shale, its prudent gas acquisition efforts, and use of underground natural gas storage to balance supply needs during the coldest usage periods provide a distinct and consistent economic advantage over other utilities at the state level.
National Fuel says nearly half of the natural gas that customers will use this winter was purchased during the summer months when the prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange ranged from $1.50 to $2.60. All of those summer natural gas purchases were sourced from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia – all shale producing regions – generally selling at a discount ranging from $.50 to $1.00 below the NYMEX summer prices, equivalent to an approximate average of $1.20.
"Now more than ever we realize that our customers may need assistance paying their natural gas utility bills and there are numerous programs available," said Merkel. "The best advice is to call National Fuel's customer assistance so we can work to determine what program or programs a payment-challenged customer might qualify for."
The federally-funded Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) provides payment-challenged families and individuals with financial assistance on a first-come, first-served basis, based on income guidelines. HEAP will open across New York state on Nov. 2.
