Natural gas typically is used to heat furnaces and other appliances, like water heaters. Residents consuming less natural gas this winter is also a part of a long-term trend, Morris said. The utility company is finding that residents are saving more from their bills in recent years because of a more dedicated effort to make homes energy efficient.
Access to efficiencies, Morris said, is also easier because appliances are made to conserve more energy compared to products made 20 years ago.
Despite the mild temperatures, low-income residents in Knox County are not seeing relief in their heating costs. Jeannie Shelton, executive director of Carver Community Action Agency, said her group is on pace to spend more in heating assistance than last winter.
The group administers federal and state assistance to help low-income residents pay their utility bills during the winter. The group spent $4 million in heating assistance all of last winter. So far, Carver staffers have doled out more than $2.5 million in assistance this winter.
Shelton said the group has serviced more residents this winter than ever before because of the lack of jobs in the region. The older housing stock in Galesburg also makes it difficult for residents to conserve energy, she said.
“The economy drives it all,” Shelton said. “There are more people eligible now than ever before because they are working part-time jobs, making minimum wage.”
