With this month bringing record low temperatures, students have
been donning extra garments before walking around campus. But now
they not only have to deal with the frigid cold outside, but also
with higher heating costs to keep them warm inside their homes.
Costs for the current heating season, lasting November through
April, will rise by 30 percent from last year’s expenditures,
according to the Michigan Public Service Commission.
The cost of heating a home throughout last year’s heating
season averaged $634, while this year’s projected costs are
at $795.
MPSC spokeswoman Judy Palnau said that costs for natural gas
have gone up due to increased demand for heating. As temperatures
drop, consumption of natural gas has increased, while gas supplies
have grown at slower rates.
This is not the only time in recent years when the cold weather
has driven up the price of heating. When natural gas supplies were
replenished last February, the increased demand caused consumer
prices to become dramatically higher, Palnau added.
“We had a colder than normal winter last year, so the
amounts put into storage were used up quickly,” Palnau
said.
Climbing bills create problems for students on short budgets.
But the state offers different plans to people who qualify for
need-based financial aid. Students can call their local utility
company to inquire about help if they have problems paying their
high bills, Palnau suggested.
These programs are very diverse, Palnau said. The Winter
Protection Plan from DTE allows customers to pay a standard rate
year-round to prevent paying especially high rates during the
winter.
The Michigan Department of Treasury offers a home heating
credit, and is only one of the agencies that can help people pay
bills. THAW, The Heat and Warmth Fund, is another such agency and
can be reached at 800-866-8429.
“We encourage people to start (calling) even if they only
think they will have a problem, because people tend to delay, and
that only makes the problem worse,” Palnau added.
Michigan has also launched the “Be Winter Wise”
campaign to encourage citizens to be prepared for the winter,
Palnau said.
“The whole purpose of the Be Winter Wise campaign was to
let people know that the prices are up but there are ways to cut
back on costs and to get help with paying their bills,”
Palnau said. Tips for saving on winter heating costs can be located
at www.michigan.gov/bewinterwise.
Some students living off-campus said they saw a rise in their
heating bills. Those who pay for heat separate from rent said the
expense added tension between roommates.
Engineering junior Greg Hukill shares a three-story house with
five other roommates. He estimated their heating bill was $160 to
$200 a month, keeping the temperature around 65 degrees.
“It’s a little touchy subject around here. Guys are
always arguing over what the temperature should be,” Hukill
said. “Some rooms are colder than others, so some guys are
always sneaking downstairs and playing with the temperature,”
Hukill said.
LSA senior Leila Hekmati’s heat is not included in the
rent. “When I come home, sometimes my roommate’s got it
up real high and I get pissed — partly because it’s hot
and partly because we have to pay for it,” Hekmati said.
LSA sophomore Adrian Gross said shared a house with eleven other
students last year and said that each person paid about $70 per
month for heat.
“It was really expensive. It was quite an issue,”
Gross added.
Many students who are lucky enough to have heat included in
their monthly payment said they agreed that they would keep the
thermostat at a lower temperature if they had to pay for their own
heat separate from rent.
“We keep it higher than if we’d have to pay for
it,” said LSA junior John Glase.
Glase’s roommate Chris Perez said he prefers to keep the
apartment’s temperature moderate.
Often when heat is included in rent, students said that they
could not adjust their thermostats.
“We’re not able to control our heat so it’s
actually frigid cold,” LSA junior Steve Smolenski said.
“I’d actually rather pay to get some heat.”
Many students living in residence halls also have no control
over room temperatures. Yet although heat is included in the cost
of room and board, some students said wished they could manipulate
the heat of their individual rooms.
LSA freshman Megan Eaton lives in South Quad. “I know a
lot of people are frustrated with the fact that they don’t
have control over it. My friends who lived in the dorm last year
warned me about how hot it would be.”
As long as the winter temperatures continue to persist, students
will remain reliant on heat — whatever the cost.
“Where the prices are going in the future, it’s hard
to say. A lot of people think that because of the increasing demand
that this is going to be an issue in the future, but you
can’t predict these things,” Palnau said.