Xcel natural gas customers in North Dakota will see increased prices on their bills, starting in July.
That’s because of the cost of gas from the February cold weather event in Texas, that affected the price utilities had to pay for the gas.
The average consumer will pay around $15.72 per month. That cost will be in effect until September, 2022. The North Dakota Public Service Commission says the cost is being spread out over a 15-month period.
Commissioner Brian Kroshus said companies do not make any profit from the sale of gas. He said it's a pass-through.
"Utilities try to secure gas at the lowest price they can," Kroshus said. "These were market conditions beyond their control. It's an unfortunate situation."
Commissioner Randy Christmann said this also hits small business significantly, just as businesses are trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For a lot of these people, especially those in businesses that use a lot of natural gas, this is going to hit them hard as well," Christmann said. "It's certainly not that we're without empathy, but these things do need to be paid for."
MDU natural gas customers are already paying another $3 to $4 per month because of that purchased gas adjustment.
