Customers could experience higher costs due to a recent cold snap and nationwide increases in gas prices.
Delta Utilities customers may see higher natural gas bills in the coming months following a recent cold snap and rising natural gas prices.
Logan Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, said price spikes often happen during major winter and summer events.
“We see the cost of gas really go up during major winter events, and even major summer events,” Burke said.
The shift in billing came last July, when Entergy sold its natural gas operations to Delta Utilities. Many customers now receive separate gas and electric bills.
“Historically, people in New Orleans have been seeing one bill that kind of included electric power plus natural gas. And so now we get two separate bills,” said Eric Smith, associate director at the Tulane Energy Institute.
Smith said Delta bills use a rolling average, so price increases can show up months after the initial spike. He also said Louisiana has enough gas supplies but limited pipeline capacity, which can create local shortages during high demand periods.
Burke said Louisiana’s older, drafty homes increase heating needs and raise gas usage.
“Now I’m having to make a decision between my electric bill and my gas bill, and that’s when things start getting scary,” she said. She also noted that rising gas costs can affect electricity bills because of the state’s reliance on natural gas for power.
Delta Utilities said its levelized billing program, based on a rolling 12-month average, can help make monthly bills more manageable during seasonal spikes.
Burke said long-term solutions require policy changes and oversight by regulators. She encouraged customers struggling with bills to contact their elected officials.
