Editorial: Freeze out energy costs by controlling your heating bills

Have you turned on that furnace? Cranked up the electric baseboard heaters? Touched the thermostat?

Coming off a Thanksgiving weekend during which temperatures dipped into the 30s or below, you probably at least thought about it.

But maybe you were among those who are acutely aware of the cost of comfort. Maybe you scowled at the thermometer, glared at the weatherman on television and put on a sweater and another pair of socks, determined to wait just a little bit longer before you turn on the heat.

That undoubtedly will happen in a number of Southwestern Pennsylvania households, given projections of a much more expensive heating season.

It is largely driven by natural gas. Peoples Natural Gas was approved for a 16% increase in its rates effective October. Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania is asking the Public Utility Commission to allow an increase of about 14.5% that would see average bills tick up to $115.37.

It’s tempting to say “but I don’t have natural gas heat.” Doesn’t matter. Natural gas is the fuel of choice for more than half of the state’s electrical generation. Duquesne Light is increasing its rates by 7.7%, while West Penn Power’s will go up by 4.6%. And that’s just for generation. Duquesne Light is asking the PUC to allow a separate rate increase of about $4.23 per month for distribution.

So maybe your heating costs won’t go up, but your electric bill will. You’ve got electric heat? Double whammy.

It’s enough to make you switch to oil heat. And then you remember heating oil is up 62%.

The PUC is encouraging utility customers to shop around, but what is the benefit there? It isn’t like there’s an abundant and affordable energy supply that someone is hawking on street corners that people haven’t considered. It isn’t like laying out a few thousand dollars for a differently fueled heating system is a viable alternative to paying more. At least it’s not when it’s already December.

No, what the PUC really seems to be doing is pushing people toward the process put in place a few years ago, allowing Pennsylvanians to shop around for electricity rather than be tied to one company for generation and distribution. The Price to Compare changed for all providers effective Wednesday.

The problem is that while you can compare numbers easily on the PUC’s PAPowerSwitch.com website, there is more to it than that. It’s a complicated math problem that is not as simple as the difference between $19.99 and $60.20 for a month.

The best suggestion probably involves a lot less math and a lot more practicality. Plug up those gaps around windows and doors. Wrap pipes. Close off rooms that don’t need to be used and thus don’t need to be heated. Decorate your couch with cuddly throw blankets and invest in sweaters and socks.

Because the only way you can really control the cost of heating — and take back your power from the energy providers — is to cut back on how much you use.