SYRACUSE, Utah — A jump in natural gas prices during the colder months is something Utahns are supposed to budget for every winter. But even still, Dominion Energy customers say their most recent bill caught them off guard.
Most residents want to be able to cook a meal or crank the heat without thinking of how it’ll translate to their natural gas bill.
"I’m especially concerned about those that are on fixed incomes who struggle anyway. It’s just enough to put somebody over the edge," said Jeff Hansen.
Hansen did the math and claims his Dominion Energy bill went up 65 percent in the last three years.
"We’re doing what we can," he said. "We open the blinds when the sun’s shining, we turn the heat down when we’re gone.
"I don’t know what else we can do."
Brittany Gaisford-Fereday is feeling the same pain as she works out of her Syracuse home as a dog groomer.
"I can’t just turn down the thermostat. I have live animals," she said.
Like others, Gaisford-Fereday doesn’t understand how this year’s bill is higher despite this winter being much tamer than the year before.
"We have a brand new high efficient furnace and we’re still paying more and we’re using less than we were last year," she explained.
Dominion says the current rate is because of last winter’s market prices. Typically, natural gas can be purchased for five dollars per dekatherm or less, but the company claims it was ten times that last year.
A Dominion spokesperson claims everything should balance itself out and costs will eventually drop. But customers won’t believe it until they see the next bill.
"Dominion is a monopoly, and there’s no other gas company that Utahns can use," said Gaisford-Fereday.
The Utah Public Service Commission approves the rates Utahns pay. Dominion recently filed for a rate decrease of $19 million dollars, and if approved by the commission, the rate change would go into effect Feb. 1.
If the decrease is approved, on average, it would mean a decrease of $10 annually for each Utah customer.
