Record cold plus skyrocketing heating prices equals unhappy customers. Iowans fed up with the high price of natural gas now have a chance to sound off and get some answers about the causes of the price hikes. A utility is holding a series of public meetings around the state starting tonight.Kevin Waetke is spokesman for Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy. He says the meetings over the next two weeks are an effort to educate customers about the sources of the record high natural gas prices. For the most part, he does -not- expect the meetings to be just complaint sessions.MidAmerican has about 500-thousand natural gas customers in Iowa. Waetke says the utility is -not- making a big profit off of this situation. He says it’s not MidAmerican that’s jacked up the prices.The first meetings are tonight in Sioux City and Waterloo. All meetings are at 7 p-m. Two more will be held tomorrow in Fort Dodge and Ottumwa. More meetings are scheduled for: Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, West Des Moines, Davenport and Sioux Falls. Call your nearest MidAmerican office for details.
