January Cold Snap to Hit Wallets on March 26th Billing Cycle

PORT ALLEN — If your gas bill looks unusually high when it arrives later this month, city officials say there's a reason — and they want residents to know about it now.

Finance Director Adrian Daigle used the closing minutes of Port Allen's February 25 town hall meeting to warn utility customers that the city's natural gas costs for January came in at more than $270,000 — over $110,000 above the highest bill the city had ever received from its natural gas supplier. Those costs will be reflected in bills going out March 26th.

"I don't know what the individual gas bills will be," Daigle said, "but I know that we've already billed our industrial customers, and their gas bills were about 60 percent more than what they normally pay."

Residential customers have not yet seen the impact because of the city's standard two-month billing lag. Meter readers are currently recording January usage, which will appear on the upcoming March 26th statements.

Why Was January So Expensive?

The spike traces back to the extended cold stretch that gripped a large portion of the country during the latter part of January. Daigle explained that the extraordinary demand for natural gas across such a wide area meant the city's regular supplier did not have enough supply on hand and had to purchase gas from other sources at higher prices.

"The demand for gas for heat was extraordinarily more in that January period," Daigle said.

Unlike some utilities that own their natural gas infrastructure outright, Port Allen purchases gas from a supplier and passes those costs through to customers. When wholesale prices spike, residential and commercial customers feel it directly.

Industrial Customers Already Billed

Port Allen's industrial customers — who generally use natural gas for operations rather than heating — have already received their January bills and are seeing the 60-percent increase. Daigle said he empathizes with those customers and acknowledged that residential bills will reflect a similar pattern.

"My energy bill, too," Daigle noted, acknowledging that the cold snap affected everyone.

What Residents Can Do

City officials did not announce any assistance programs or payment plan changes in connection with the increase. Customers with questions about their bills or who need to discuss payment arrangements are encouraged to contact Port Allen City Hall at (225) 346-5680.

The March 26th billing cycle reflects January meter readings. February usage — recorded during a more moderate stretch of weather — will appear on the following billing cycle.

WBR Independent covers West Baton Rouge Parish government, public safety, and community affairs. Story tips and public records requests can be directed to editor@wbrindependent.com.