COLLINSVILLE, Ill.,
Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/
-- Ameren Illinois customers can expect another year with
natural gas prices lower than the national average during the
upcoming 2014-15 heating season.
"We are fully prepared for the winter season and expect stable
prices for Ameren Illinois customers," said Ameren Illinois Gas
Supply Director Ken Dothage.
"Because of our price hedging and storage strategies along with
the continued increase in natural gas production in the U.S., we
anticipate that the gas supply portion of our customers' bills will
again be lower than the national average," said Dothage. During the
2013-14 heating season which was 15 percent colder than normal,
Ameren Illinois customers paid an average of $0.54 per therm. Ameren Illinois
anticipates 2014-15 heating-season average prices to remain low in
a range of $0.53-$0.55 per therm.
"We buy a significant amount of natural gas in the summer months
when prices are typically lower and store it for use by our
customers in the winter. Those savings are passed on to our
customers," said Dothage. "While the amount a customer pays will
depend on winter temperatures and the actual amount of energy a
customer uses, we have taken steps to insulate them from price
volatility on the supply side."
A large portion of a customer's monthly bill is gas supply costs
– including the cost of interstate gas transportation, leased
storage, and the natural gas commodity itself. Due to much
colder temperatures last winter, residential customers used more
natural gas. If temperatures return to normal in the 2014-15
heating season, most customers should see lower overall bills as
compared to last year.
Natural gas is a commodity which Ameren Illinois purchases from
various producers for delivery to its customers. Ameren
Illinois does not profit from or mark-up the cost of natural gas
supplies purchased.
Dothage stressed that Ameren Illinois has adequate natural gas
supplies to meet customer needs during the upcoming heating season.
This winter Ameren Illinois will control 38.6 billion cubic feet of
working gas volumes through its 12 natural gas storage fields and
storage capacity it leases from interstate pipelines. Working
gas is the amount of gas which can be withdrawn in a winter
season.
In addition to funding capital investments to maintain its gas
storage fields which provides outstanding system operational value
during critically cold periods, Ameren Illinois continues to invest
capital to maintain its gas transmission and distribution systems
in order to continue to provide safe and reliable natural gas
service to its customers throughout the State of Illinois.
Customers can take actions to reduce their heating bills without
sacrificing personal comfort. To help ease the burden caused
by higher energy use, Ameren Illinois encourages customers to
enroll in Budget Billing, a plan that allows residential customers
to pay the same amount each month. Under the payment plan, customer
bills are calculated using the average monthly bill amount based on
the last 12 months. Customers can enroll in Budget Billing at any
time by calling 800-755-5000 or signing up at AmerenIllinois.com.
There is no additional charge to enroll or participate in this
program.
Other resources include:
Warm Neighbors Cool Friends (WNCF), a year-round
heating and cooling assistance program to help those who generally
do not qualify for financial assistance from other government or
non-profit programs. Eligible households can receive up to
$350 for this heating season. The
WNCF weatherization program also helps customers reduce energy
usage by installing insulation, air sealing, caulking and replacing
of heating units. More at Warmneighborscoolfriends.com.
Energy Efficiency Programs. Ameren Illinois offers
programs that customers can utilize to help reduce energy usage and
save money. Ameren Illinois offers home energy audits for only
$50. An energy audit helps customers
pinpoint the specific steps they can take to lower their home
heating and cooling costs. Rebates and incentives are available to
help customers implement changes recommended from the audit.
Permanent improvements in the energy efficiency of the home will
result in ongoing savings. More information is available at
Amerenillinois.com/programs.
About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy
to 1.2 million electric and 812,000 natural gas to customers in
Illinois. Our mission is to power the quality of life. Our
service area covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square
miles. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com, find us on
Twitter @AmerenIllinois or Facebook.
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SOURCE Ameren Illinois