Relief From High Heating Bills Unlikely To Last

WASHINGTON — There’s a bit of relief because of unusually balmy winter weather, but heating bills — sometimes double what they were a year ago — nevertheless are straining household budgets from New England to the Midwest and Northern Plains states.

State and local agencies were scrambling to help people cope with the first round of bills in what is expected to be an expensive winter.
“You send them what you can. That’s all you can do,” said Eileen Mallee of Chicago, who recently received a December natural gas bill of almost $500 for her three-bedroom bungalow, more than double last year.

Illinois, like much of the eastern half of the country, has seen unseasonably warm weather in recent days. The bills now landing in people’s mailboxes reflect heating needs in early December when Chicago suffered the coldest weather in 63 years.

AP