Cliff Notes on the News

Cliff Notes on the News

Veteran San Diego news director and reporter Cliff Albert shares his thoughts on the latest news and stories each weekday at 7:22am. Full Bio

 

What to Do About High Natural Gas Bills

If you use the Next Door app or Facebook, you probably see all the posts about the high natural gas bills from San Diego Gas and Electric this month.

Customers are shocked and stunned by how high their bill is and angry and worried. Much of the social media chatter is about what people are doing to reduce their use of natural gas, from turning down thermostats to not using their stove as much to not washing and drying as many clothes.

SDG&E warned customers last month that natural gas bills this month were probably going to double due to higher prices for natural gas. But while January is typically when natural gas bills are the highest due to the increased demand with the coldest weather, the bills are way higher than usual.

An executive at SDG&E told the San Diego Union Tribune that “If history continues to repeat itself and weather gets warmer, usage will go down and then those prices will go down.”  But she admits that with the volatility of the market for natural gas it’s hard to predict.

While SDG&E does have payment plans and financial aid for some, a lot of social media comments from customers express doubt and suspicion about their dramatically higher natural gas bills.  Some say they are checking their gas meter every day to make sure their bill is accurate.

And for now, everyone is certainly hoping that next month brings higher temperatures and lower bills.

(Photo Getty Images)

Photo: Getty Images


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