Atmos Energy: Bills in 'near-term' won't include high gas prices from winter storm

AUSTIN, Texas - Atmos Energy says it understands concerns from customers that the recent extreme weather may affect natural gas bills and that customers should know that bills in the "near-term will not include any of the unusually high gas prices from the historic winter storms."

In a news release, the utility says it does not set the market pricing for natural gas and that there is no profit added to the gas cost.

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"We have been and will continue working with regulators to find solutions that will minimize the impact on monthly bills. Until those solutions are identified, the gas cost portion of a customer’s bill will reflect normal, seasonal gas prices," Atmos Energy says.

The utility reminds customers that February and March bills may still be higher than recent months based on the amount of gas used during the bitterly cold weather.

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Some coal, natural gas and nuclear sources were shut down because of winter weather.

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For those who may need help with their bills, Atmos Energy says there are options for customers.

Atmos Energy says that it offers installment plans that spread out payments of the total balance over time with no added charges or fees. To set up an installment plan, visit www.atmosenergy.com, log in to the Atmos Energy Account Center and select the Payment Assistance tab, or call the Atmos Energy customer service team at (888) 286-6700 Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. (CT).

Federal assistance funds are also available through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), in addition to Atmos Energy’s Sharing the Warmth funds. Sharing the Warmth is a program that leverages the generosity of customer donations with additional contributions by Atmos Energy to amplify the amount of assistance offered. Atmos Energy then partners with local agencies to offer program funds to eligible customers.

LOCAL ENERGY ASSISTANCE AGENCY

Financial assistance is available on a first come, first served basis to eligible residential customers through a local energy assistance agency. To locate an agency, visit atmosenergy.com/assistance or call 211. Customers needing solutions to keep up with their monthly natural gas expenses are encouraged to contact Atmos Energy’s customer service team at (888) 286-6700 or visit the account center at https://www.atmosenergy.com/accountcenter/logon/login.html.