CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont
Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) issued its annual forecast for winter
heating bills today saying that while monthly natural gas use by
residential customers is likely to climb during the upcoming
November through March winter period, projected natural gas costs
remain moderate and should help blunt the impact of colder
temperatures on monthly bills. Last year, winter temperatures were
significantly warmer than normal, averaging approximately 21
percent warmer than normal throughout the Company's three state
service area. With a possible return to colder, more normal
winter temperatures, customers are more likely to increase their
natural gas consumption and with it, see higher monthly natural gas
bills.
Natural Gas Costs Significantly Lower Since 2008
Even with the prospect for colder winter temperatures this year,
Piedmont Natural Gas said the cost of natural gas remains low
relative to just a few years ago. "While we expect that our
customers will see higher monthly bills this winter, natural gas
costs remain significantly lower than they were back in 2008 when
domestic natural gas supplies were just beginning to increase as a
result of the discovery and production of onshore shale natural
gas," commented Thomas E. Skains,
Piedmont Natural Gas Chairman, President, and CEO. "In fact,
we believe our residential customers will pay, on average,
$150 - $225 less this winter than
they did four years ago. This translates into significant savings
and energy value for our customers."
Company Website a Resource for Energy Saving Tips for
Customers
For customers who want to learn more about energy savings tips,
Piedmont maintains a special
section on its website devoted to educating customers about their
home's energy usage. Visiting www.piedmontng.com, says
Ranelle Warfield, Piedmont's Vice President of Customer Service,
could help customers better manage the natural gas they use this
winter along with their monthly bills, which Piedmont says could fluctuate anywhere
from $6 to $26 more per month during
the winter period as a result of normal, colder winter temperatures
compared to those seen last year. "There are many steps that
customers can take to get a better handle on their energy
consumption," she said. "Some, like turning your thermostat
down several degrees, save energy, cost nothing, and are simple to
do. Others, like making sure windows and doors are properly
sealed, only cost a few dollars and are easy to implement. Still
other steps, like investing in a programmable thermostat or
purchasing higher efficiency natural gas equipment and appliances,
may cost a bit more upfront but will save the customer both energy
and money over the life of the equipment."
For customers who want to know how much energy their home or
their appliance uses, the Company has several energy calculator
tools on its website as well, noted Warfield. "The energy
calculator tools on our website are a great way for customers to
see what energy their home actually uses and how they can
potentially reduce their consumption and better manage their
natural gas bills. These tools also give customers an idea of
their home's carbon footprint, something we all have an interest in
reducing."
Piedmont's "Share the
Warmth" Program Assists Others in the Community
Piedmont noted in its winter
forecast that many individuals and families within the communities
served by the Company are still facing significant economic
hardship. "Many of our customers continue to face difficult
financial choices and economic challenges," said Piedmont's Skains. "One of the ways we can
assist our neighbors who need help is by enrolling in Piedmont's Share the Warmth Round Up Program
where we can sign up to have our monthly natural gas bills rounded
up to the nearest dollar. The amount rounded up goes to
provide emergency energy assistance funds to individuals and
families within the communities Piedmont serves, regardless of what energy is
used in the home or what time of year the need arises."
For those customers who want to learn more about the Share the
Warmth Round Up Program or to enroll in the program, they are
encouraged to visit Piedmont's
website at www.piedmontng.com.
About Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas is an energy services company primarily
engaged in the distribution of natural gas to more than one million
residential, commercial and industrial utility customers in
North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, including 53,000 customers served
by municipalities who are wholesale customers. Our subsidiaries are
invested in joint venture, energy-related businesses, including
unregulated retail natural gas marketing, interstate natural gas
storage and intrastate natural gas transportation. More information
about Piedmont Natural Gas is available on the Internet at
http://www.piedmontng.com/.
SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas