ATLANTA - Georgians can't escape the fact that they will see significantly higher heating bills this year, industry experts and state officials said Tuesday.
The short-term solutions are few, except to bundle up in more sweaters, turn down thermostats and make homes more protected from outside temperatures, said lawmakers meeting at the state Capitol to discuss soaring energy prices.
Some estimates have heating costs jumping 60 percent to 65 percent in the state.
"Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet to fix the situation this winter," said Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, the chairman of the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities committee. "The No. 1 priority at this point and time is to inform consumers. We know it's on the horizon."
He warned Georgians to start considering conservation measures now to cut energy use and checking into billing plans that lock in natural gas rates or spread the spikes out throughout the year.
He added that the price increases are also affecting other fuels nationally, such as heating oil and propane.
"It is not just a natural gas problem," he said. "This is not just a deregulation issue."
Still, natural gas users already have seen a steady climb in prices that is expected to continue this winter because of damage hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused to distribution and processing plants along the Gulf Coast.
"There's numerous pipelines still down in the Gulf," Terry Ciliske, an energy consultant with Houston-based EnVantage Inc. told the lawmakers Tuesday.
He said the storms prompted a shutdown of 8 billion cubic feet a day of natural gas production in the gulf, a primarily source of supplies for the Southeast.
Reach Vicky Eckenrode at (404) 589-8424 or vicky.eckenrode@morris.com.
CONSERVATION TIPS
How to conserve energy during winter:
- Set your thermostat at 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit while you're home during the day, and lower it at night or while you're away to 55-58 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Install a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature when you're not at home.
- Use a humidifier in colder months.
- Check your furnace filter frequently, and replace or clean it once a month or as needed.
- Open draperies to let in the sun's warmth during the day; close draperies to slow the loss of heat through the glass at night.
- Rearrange furniture or shorten draperies so heating registers and air returns aren't blocked.
- Lower the temperature setting on your washing machine.
- Turn your water heater thermostat to no more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Repair any dripping faucets.
- Make low-cost "storm windows" by placing plastic over windows.
- Weatherize your home. Use caulking and weather stripping around doors and windows to seal cracks and leaks. Hold a feather or a burning incense stick in front of a window. If the feather or smoke moves away from the window, you have a leak and should weatherize.
- Check the insulation level in your attic. If you have less than 7 inches of fiberglass insulation in your attic, consider adding another layer.
Source: Georgia Natural Gas
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