A warm winter means lower heating costs

The warmer winter might not be good for ski resorts or snowmobile sales, but it is good for keeping down heating costs.

Intermountain estimates the average person with a gas furnace has consumed about 20% less gas since the new year than this time last year. That means those same people will save about that much on their bill.

“Heating costs and weather follow each other very closely,” said Byron Befenbach of Intermountain Gas Co. Since the new year we’ve been significantly warmer and hence the drop in natural gas consumption, said Befenbach.

For those who use electric heat, Rocky Mountain Power says they’ve also seen a drop in consumption. RMP said since November, folks in Idaho have used six percent less electricity than they did last year. That means that even with those mid-November and late-December cold snaps, electrical use is still lower.