Brr! WE Energies Says Colder Winter Could See Heating Costs Rise by $70

WISCONSIN -- The average heating bill for WE Energies approximately 1.1 million customers is expected to go up about $70 this winter, according to company officials.

According to a report from the Journal Sentinel this week, heating costs are forecast to rise by 16% from last winter, a We Energies spokesman says.

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Reasons for the increase

A mild winter and historically low natural gas prices combined to push heating prices down last year. But with a more-or-less average winter expected and modest increases in natural gas prices , customers should budget more for heating costs this winter.

According to the Journal Sentinel's report, a typical customer paid $446 for the six-month heating season last year. Assuming this year's winter sees normal average temperatures, a typical customer will pay about $516 this winter, said utility spokesman Brian Manthey.

We Energies says customers should expect to pay on average about $70 more than last winter, when that started Tuesday and continues through April 30.

Wet Winter Ahead

Although temperatures are not expected to be much warmer or cooler than normal, the National Weather Service is expecting a bit more snow.

According to long-range forecasting by t National Weather Service, winter is expected to be wetter than normal across Wisconsin, so above-average snowfall amounts can be expected.

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image: NOAA