CHARLOTTE Local Charlotte News — You can expect to see a rate hike on your natural gas bill this winter, and it’s not only because it’s getting colder outside.
On average, Piedmont Natural Gas customers can expect to pay about $11 more a month.
There are several contributing factors to the increase. While the weather is getting colder, yes, Piedmont Natural Gas also credits the global commodity cost of natural gas right now, and the cost of business.
Basically, natural gas itself is increasing in cost globally, which is impacting customers locally.
Also, Piedmont Natural Gas itself is raising rates because it needs to be able to provide safe, reliable natural gas services. That includes inspecting pipelines and other safety work.
“There are parts of the bill we don’t control— the weather, how much gas the customer uses, the cost of it globally,” said Piedmont Natural Gas Spokesperson Jennifer Sharpe. “So we are being very transparent, because we want to help customers. We want them to be prepared, to know what’s coming, and we want to help them manage it.”