“With usage up this sharply, customers are seeing higher bills than last winter, and we encourage those that are challenged to pay to reach out to us for payment options,” Colleen Ryan, president of Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, said.
Vectren said that customers who need assistance managing costs should contact Vectren at 1-800-227-1376.
Qualifying customers can set up a payment plan so they can pay the bill in smaller increments over a period of time. It’s a free service with no interest charges. Vectren said it can also offer guidance for those with low-incomes who need energy assistance. Tips can be found at Vectren.com/saveenergy.
The utility said that it delivered nearly 260 million units of natural gas to 315,000 customers in west central Ohio during the months of November 2013 through January 2014, the highest since the winter of 2002-03. Each unit equals 100 cubic feet, or CCF. This volume compares to nearly 210 million CCF delivered during the same period last season.
“It goes without saying the bitter cold weather has forced furnaces to work harder, and a 25 percent increase in season-over-season gas deliveries demonstrates just how cold this winter has been,” Ryan said.
The average residential gas customer has used more than 450 CCF during this same three-month period compared to about 360 CCF last winter.
About 45 percent of the 450 CCF was consumed in January 2014. The average customer – based on normal winter weather – typically uses about 600 CCF over the five-month heating season of November through March, Vectren said.
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