With the Energy Information Administration predicting higher prices, California’s major natural gas utilities Tuesday warned customers this week that natural gas bills likely would rise this winter from 5% to 30%, compared to last winter, with the larger hikes being in northern California.

San Diego-based Sempra Energy’s two utilities indicated storage levels are nearly full, so they “fully expect to meet all of their customers’ needs,” according to a Southern California Gas Co. spokesperson. However, monthly bills in the southern part of the state could increase from 5% to 12%.

The cost of gas makes up about half of a typical small customer’s natural gas bill. A typical monthly residential bill this winter could increase to $73 from $65 monthly in the winter of 2002-03. The SoCalGas spokesperson said it is still early, and the utility will be monitoring what the weather and wholesale prices do in the weeks leading to Nov. 1, the official start of the five-month “heating season” for California natural gas utilities.

In the north, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is projecting possible overall increases in the 20-30% range, although the combination utility has not yet done its formal projections for the various groups of customers. Unusually warm weather last winter, along with depleted storage resources, point toward a bigger percentage increase for PG&E utility customers on the year-over-year calculations.

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