‘Your Wallet’: Gas bills are expected to be lower in Nebraska this winter

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – It’s getting colder in Nebraska, and staying inside and cranking up the heat will soon become the norm.

Some good news: Your gas bill could be lower than last year.

Prices in September were four times lower than a year earlier, according to Black Hills Energy spokeswoman Brandy Johnson.

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That difference in price results from record-high natural gas production, which was 2.5% higher than 2022.

National storage for natural gas was also 16% more than the same time last year and 7% above the five-year average.

“We’re fortunate that we have higher supply, we’ve had a little bit lower usage.” Johnson said. “So our storage levels going into winter are really good. So those two things have put us in a good spot to feel like we’re going to have lower bills this winter than we’ve seen in the past.”

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The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that residential natural gas prices this winter will be about 21% lower than 2022, which means a little more money in your pocket.

Johnson said Black Hills customers can also save more money — and more easily plan your expenses — using the budget billing plan.

“As you get into the winter months, your gas bill, your heating bill is going to go up, your cooling bill might go down,” she said. “But if you use the budget billing program, it will level that out over the entire year.”

Editor’s note: This report is part of a weekly series Channel 8 is airing called “Your Wallet.”  We’ll be looking into topics that deal with your money. The reports air every Monday during the Channel 8 News at 6 p.m.

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