SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Many residents in the Sacramento area have reached out to ABC10 about the dramatic changes to cut their rising natural gas bills.
This comes one month after PG&E announced customers should be prepared to pay more.
A spokesperson for PG&E said the price rise is due in part to higher natural gas demand on the West Coast. PG&E also said they don't mark up the price of natural gas.
"What we're paying is what our customers are paying," Sarkissian said.
According to a new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average cost of wholesale U.S. natural gas last year was the highest since 2008. Sacramento State Finance Professor Sanjay Varshney previously told ABC10, globally, people will find that natural gas prices have gone up.
However, there's one thing Sarkissian said people can do right now to lower their bill.
"For each degree that your thermostat is lowered, you would save 2% on your heating bill. So we really encourage people to take advantage of that," she said.
PG&E suggests reviewing options online to see if you can save money on a different plan. Other tips include:
- Make sure your vents are clear at home
- Set your hot water heater to 120 degrees
- Open your shades on sunny days
Statement from PG&E:
“PG&E recognizes our responsibility to serve our customers safely and reliably while keeping their energy bills as low as possible. We’re here to help all our customers save money by working with them to find the best rate plan for their household or business, sharing free and low-cost actions to help them reduce energy usage and better manage monthly bills, and offering assistance programs for income-eligible customers."
