Milder Winter, Low Natural Gas Price Mean Winter Heating Savings for Consumers Energy Customers

JACKSON, Mich., Jan. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A relatively mild winter and the lowest natural gas price in nearly 15 years are working together to reduce this winter's heating bills for homes and businesses that Consumers Energy serves. The energy provider announced today that the average household could pay $200 less for natural gas this winter compared to a year ago.

"Michigan homes and businesses should continue to enjoy savings on their heating bills this winter," said Tim Sparks, Consumers Energy's vice president of energy supply operations. "The natural gas price we offer our customers is almost 65 percent lower than a decade ago, and it has continued to fall in each of the last four months."

Some facts about heating costs for Consumers Energy customers:

• Households paid $70 less, on average, for their heating bills in October and November, compared to the same two months in 2014. Final figures for December are not yet available.
• Customers are paying almost 65 percent less for natural gas this month than they were in January 2006.
• Consumers Energy has lowered the price of natural gas each month since September, when it was $3.36 (per thousand cubic feet) to $3.16 this month.
• The last time the price of natural gas was this low was in April 2001.

Consumers Energy uses a system of 15 underground fields to store natural gas, the largest of any natural gas distribution company in the nation, to help keep prices low. The company buys gas in the summer, when prices are lower, for homes and businesses to use during the cold winter months.

"We are a Michigan company, celebrating our 130^th anniversary serving our state this year, and we are committed to the success of Michigan's economy," Sparks said. "By lowering energy costs, we are helping households to live affordably and Michigan companies to create jobs right here at home."

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com.

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COMPARE PRICES: Compare your natural gas costs to others:  www.Michigan.gov/CompareMIGas

LEARN MORE: Understand your natural gas bill and look at Consumers Energy's gas price month by month: www.ConsumersEnergy.com/gascenter 

SOURCE Consumers Energy

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