Indiana advocate: Brace for costly winter heating season

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's consumer advocate for utilities is urging Hoosiers to brace themselves for what's expected to be the most expensive winter heating season in years.

The Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor said state residents can expect to see the highest winter natural gas spot prices since 2007-08 following a recent forecast by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The federal agency said Oct. 13 that with prices surging worldwide for heating oil, natural gas and other fuels, it expects U.S. households to see their heating bills jump as much as 54% compared to last winter.

Indiana Utility Consumer Counselor Bill Fine said Hoosiers who are behind in their utility bills or worried about their ability to pay should contact their local utility now to make arrangements to spread their winter heating costs over the rest of the year.

'Å“Contacting your utilities sooner instead of later is crucial, especially if you are concerned about being disconnected at any point," Fine s aid in a news release.

The state is also encouraging residents to consider a home heating system tune-up to ensure their HVAC system has a clean filter and to use their furnace's humidifier to make the air feel warmer, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

Residents can also save energy by fixing attic insulation, keeping vents clean and unlocked and lowering the thermostat when going to sleep or leaving home for more than five hours.