Here's how to avoid getting burned by your next heat bill

MALMO, Minn. – WCCO Weather Watcher Gary Knight says the fresh snow up in Malmo is beautiful.

What's not beautiful? His heating costs when the wind chills are minus-35 degrees.

"Well, we got at least 6 inches of snow. It's light but it's pretty thick," Knight said, adding with a laugh. "I'm not happy about the price but what do you do? You either stay cold or you stay warm. I like warm!"

The cold snap moving in across the country has caused a massive demand for gas, and even has energy companies, including Xcel Energy and CenterPoint, sending notices to customers asking them to turn down the heat if possible.

"We don't have any supply or reliability issues in terms of delivering the natural gas to our 900,000 customers in Minnesota," said Ross Corson, spokesperson for CenterPoint Energy. "Because it is really cold, not only here but across most of the country, there is increased demand for natural gas and we are seeing a short-term, significant increase in the market price of natural gas right now."

CenterPoint is advising its customers to make small adjustments around the house, including to the thermostat, to keep from having sticker shock on their next bill.

"We ask that they maybe set their thermostat at 65 degrees when they're at home and at night or when they're away from home, maybe reduce it another 5 degrees or so," Corson said. "Check your furnace filter. Often times it's kinda out of sight, out of mind and that furnace filter especially in the winter time can get dirty. We recommend that people check their furnace filter at least monthly, clean and change it. We also suggest that you seal up your doors and windows with weather stripping and caulking, whatever, to make sure that the warm air is staying in your home and the cold air is staying out."  

Corson also pointed out that any increase in bills from CenterPoint wouldn't be profit going to the company, but rather the suppliers who set the price.

"The price that we pay for natural gas in the market is the same price that we charge our customers for it. We don't make a profit or mark up the price of natural gas," Corson said. "Because there is a lot of demand for natural gas throughout much of the country right now because of this widespread cold snap, there is pressure on that's pushing the prices up."

Corson says many Minnesotans are also leaving money on the table when it comes to energy assistance programs.

"Of the Minnesotans who are eligible for energy assistance, which is a federal program operated through the state, historically only about 20-25% of Minnesotans who were eligible for it actually applied for it," he said. "Either they don't know they're eligible, they don't go through the trouble of applying, they don't want to … But we do encourage people to take advantage of setting up a payment plan, seeing if they're eligible for energy assistance if they think they're going to have trouble paying their heating bills this winter."

Click here to find more details on eligibility and applications for the Energy Assistance Program.