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

[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.

[tridim]

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

Make a shitload of profit on natural gas speculation.

[madokie]

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.

[On the Road]

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.

[predfan]

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

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.

[elocs]

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.