Estimated Natural Gas Bills for Winter 2022-23 by National Fuel
Natural gas customers can expect to pay about 50% more to heat their homes this winter than last year. This is more than they have in a decade.
National Fuel said the average residential customer will spend $1,023 to heat their home from November through March.
Locally, National Fuel customers haven’t seen winter heating season bills this high since winter of 2008-2009. Last winter saw natural gas prices begin to spike, but the winter weather finished 10% warmer than normal so winter heating bills came in lower than anticipated. This time last year National Fuel had predicted average winter bills to total $714 and the actual average was $684.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that U.S. households will spend more on energy this winter than they have in several years. The reasons behind natural gas (and electric) bill increases are based on domestic and global factors. Geopolitical events, such as the war in Ukraine, are increasing demand for domestically produced liquified natural gas (LNG), exposing U.S. natural gas pricing to global market influences.
Demand for natural gas used to generate electricity is also up as electrical usage increases with rising economic activity in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here in New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul has directed Public Service Commission Chair Rory Christian to send letters to Chief Executive Officers of New York State’s largest utility companies, urging measures to mitigate the anticipated extreme commodity price increases over the winter and enhance customer communications. Hochul also directed State agencies to convene fuel providers across the state to ensure adequate heating fuels are available this winter.
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