California Public Utilities Commission hearing to address rising cost of natural gas bills
A public hearing on the rising cost of natural gas bills was in session Tuesday morning in Long Beach at 9.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) was holding an En Banc virtual event, and public comment was accepted.
CPUC does not regulate the price or production of natural gas, but promises to investigate why the cost double from November to December and tripled from December to January.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is getting the feds involved to get answers over high natural gas utility bills.
Governor Newsom is calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which does regulate wholesale natural gas, to investigate whether there's been market manipulation.
The Southern California Gas Company says it welcomes the investigation, saying it's about supply, storage and cold-weather conditions.
CPUC recently approved the early release of utility bill credits from about $90-$100 to help with costs, and those will start showing up in bills as early as March.
In the meantime, here are some things you can do right now to stop burning money:
- First, drop the temperature of your thermostat anywhere from 2 to 5 degrees.
- Don't shut it off completely, because you'll spend more fuel trying to re-heat a cold home than you will just maintaining a temperature.
- If you don't have a programmable thermostat, grab one -- you can get them for as little as $20.
- Make sure your windows and doors are properly sealed to not let the heat out. If you can't get that fixed, roll up a towel to block the draft.
- Open your blinds during the day to help the sun heat up the room.
- Turn down your water heater. You don't need it at 140 degrees -- 120 is just fine.
- And close vents in rooms that are unused.
SoCal Gas is offering payment plans to help those in a bind.