Gasoline isn’t the only fuel that’s seeing a surge in price. Allan Urlis of MidAmerican Energy says natural gas is also being pushed up. He says oil prices are affecting natural gas prices much the same way they’re impacting gas prices. Urlis says the current natural gas prices are at historic levels that were last experienced in the winter of 2000-2001. Urlis says that’ll cost you more to heat your home. He says the federal department of energy is predicting a 30-percent increase in heating bills this winter in the midwest. He says MidAmerican is recommending that you budget for high heating costs. Urlis says MidAmerican charges customers only what the gas costs the company. He says they’re taking steps to try and hold down natural gas prices. He says MidAmerican began purchasing gas at lower prices earlier this year. He says if we do get a cold snap, then that lower priced natural gas will be used instead of the higher-priced natural gas. Urlis says weatherizing your home with insulation and caulking can help cut costs. There are other things you can do too. He says one thing that really helps is a programmable thermostat that you can set to drop to a lower temperature when you’re at work and at night. Urlis says a programmable thermostat can reduce your energy use by as much as 10-percent. MidAmerican is Iowa’s largest utility company.
