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Kate Shonk is a policy principal at Advanced Energy United.
Permission granted by Kate Shonk
As temperatures warm up across the country, one reminder of winter remains: the sting of high heating bills. This year, natural gas bills felt different. Volatile supply rates — coupled with unprecedented delivery costs on bills — made gas less economical than ever. Spot prices reached record highs this winter.
Fossil fuel prices have always been sensitive to domestic and global supply disruptions, but recent brutal cold, winter storms, and geopolitical conflicts have left families particularly vulnerable to high gas rates. This January, prices averaged $7.72/MMBtu, compared to $4.13/MMBtu at the same time in 2025. These price spikes impact both gas and electric supply rates, but while electric supply rates are made up of multiple fuel sources, including cheaper, cleaner resources, high gas prices are passed one-for-one onto gas customers’ bills.
