Natural Gas Prices Rising

[jeffrey]

Natural gas prices have jumped 17% in two days, a chilling development for the millions of Americans who heat their homes with natural gas.

The price for a million British thermal units of natural gas trading in New York for delivery in November rose 56 cents, or 8.8%, to $6.911 Wednesday as supply jitters rattled investors. The increase came on the same day the price of oil dipped from an all-time high of nearly $50 a barrel. That was the first daily decline in two weeks...

U.S. demand for natural gas this winter is expected to rise 4.4% from last year, says a report by an industry trade group, and prices should be higher despite inventories near record levels at the start of the heating season...

About 55% of U.S. homes are heated with natural gas. While it's unclear whether the recent price rises will directly show up on consumers' bills, prices are expected to be higher this year than last, and the latest gains will likely bolster those predictions.

The Energy Department earlier this month predicted the total winter heating bill for the average natural gas user will be $1,010, up 17% from last winter and 68% higher than the 2001-02 season... [read more at usatoday.com]

For tips on reducing your heating bills, read the SavingAdvice.com article Save On Heating.