Minnesotans' utility bills are expected to increase in the coming months and it all has to do with February's 2-week cold snap that gripped much of the country.
It's because companies like Centerpoint Energy and Xcel Energy had to buy natural gas just as prices were spiking and supplies were low, and are now needing to recoup those costs by charging their customers.
"Many of our utilities purchased gas on the market that was really, really expensive - like a hundred times as expensive as normal - because of a combination of low supply as there were wells freezing off in the Southern U.S., and high demand because of the weather," said Annie Levinson-Falk, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota.
"Many of our utilities are estimating for an average household an additional cost of 200 to 400 dollars," said Levinson-Falk. "That's really alot."
Levinson-Falk says utility companies are working on plans to spread out the increase over several months and there is energy assistance funding available to households that qualify.