A series of robust conservation efforts have paid off for the City of Long Beach.
On Monday, city officials announced that Long Beach residents have the lowest natural gas bills in the state, with average household gas usage having decreased by over 70 percent since the early 1970s.
In 2014, the average monthly gas bill from the city’s utility was just $29.59, which is 15 percent lower than the average for six neighboring cities. According to Long Beach Gas and Oil Director Chris Garner, the numbers are even better for 2015, with an expected average of $26.08—42 percent less than the average for 2000.
“Our customers have done their part by making the effort to conserve energy and are saving real dollars every month by doing so,” Garner said. “It is our job to continue to work hard to provide our customers with natural gas in a safe and reliable manner at the lowest possible price. We have been providing natural gas to Long Beach and Signal Hill for over 90 years now and our goal is to continue to be the very best utility in California.”
Mild winters have led to a reduction in the use of natural gas for heat over the past few years. Recent water conservation efforts have also led to a dip in prices by reducing the natural gas required to heat water. LBGO’s rates are set by the Long Beach City Council and the City Charter requires natural gas to be sold at market rates. Across Southern California, natural gas prices have also dropped due to an abundance of supply.
Read more about the city’s announcement here.
Image Credit: Flickr User dobrych, https://flic.kr/p/5UeCch via (CC BY-SA 2.0)