Cold temps bring higher natural gas usage

HARLAN -- Cold temperatures in early January have led to an increase in natural gas usage in Harlan, officials at the Harlan Municipal Utilities said this week.
    “Given the cold temperatures, it’s expected the amount of gas used would be up this year,” said Doug Hammer, Director of Marketing at HMU.
    The first 15 days of 2018 have been marked with temperatures in the single digits and wind chills of up to 30 degrees below zero. Cold weather affects the amount of natural gas consumed and, therefore, heating bills.
    “HMU customers have used about 15 percent more gas this year compared to the same dates in January 2017. The forecast for the rest of the month calls for seasonal or above average temperatures so we anticipate we will see a decrease in demand.”