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Higher energy bills reflect colder winter

Average temperature from mid-December to mid-January 17 degrees lower than a year ago.

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer 2:22 AM Friday, February 5, 2010

HAMILTON — Despite snow and freezing rain forecast in coming days, utility officials expect many residents to keep the thermostat down and bundle up to save money.

But Old Man Winter has other plans.

Winter this year has already been notably colder than last year, despite having less snow, according to weather and utility officials.

Though “a lot of people are turning back their usage,” Duke Energy spokeswoman Sally Thelen said colder temperatures caused an increase in the average power bill in January, compared to last year.

In other words, it’s taking more power to keep people’s homes colder.

Thelen said the average temperature from mid-December to mid-January was 34 degrees last year, compared to 17 degrees for the same period this year.

“We’re definitely seeing a colder start to the year,” she said.

The result is that Duke is expecting an 18 percent increase in electric bills for January, compared to the beginning of 2009. On the plus side, plummeting natural gas prices will cause a decrease of $15.27 on the average January gas bill for Duke customers, compared to last year.

Hamilton Utility Manager Doug Childs said he was expecting a 2 percent drop in gas usage this year because people were toughing it out to save money. But instead, the average gas bill rose from 150 hundred cubic feet last January to 153 hundred last month.

Childs estimates January 2010 was 11 percent colder than January 2009. And last month’s bills will come out this month.

“The highest bill is coming, that’s what I would warn people,” he said, adding that a reduction in gas and electric rates this year should help take the edge off.

While it’s been chilly this year, it has also been dry so far, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Scott Hickman. He said the main measuring stations at the Cincinnati and Dayton airports show less snow than last year.

In Dayton, snowfall is down from 18 inches at this point last year to 15 inches this year. In Cincinnati, it’s down from 21 inches last year to 12.3 inches this year.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.