Consumers Energy Gas Storage System Saves Winter Heating Costs

1986

Consumers Energy saved Michigan homeowners and businesses approximately $295 million in utility costs during last winter’s, with its dreaded polar vortex, in part due to the utility’s elaborate underground storage system, company officials said Monday.

“Our storage system, one of the largest in the U.S., protected homeowners and businesses from higher heating bills last winter,” says Tim Sparks, Consumer Energy’s vice president for energy supply operations. “We buy gas in the summer when it’s less expensive and inject that into our 15 storage fields. This protects customers, because it significantly reduces our need to buy gas in the winter when it’s usually more expensive.”

Like last winter, The Old Farmer’s Almanac for 2015 predicts another harsh winter for Michigan with above normal snowfall.

In an attempt to provide its 1.7 million customers with even greater savings, Sparks says the utility plans to invest more in its gas storage system.

“Gas prices are still historically low — lower than they were five or 10 years ago,” Sparks says. “The average home spends $3 a day throughout the year for natural gas. We can help people manage and lower their bills through energy efficiency, payment arrangements, and assistance for those in financial need.”

IN OTHER ENERGY NEWS, Gov. Rick Snyder has made this week Careers in Energy Week in Michigan as part of a nationwide effort to draw attention to the importance of the energy industry in the U.S. economy.

The Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium, an industry partnership of 30 organizations led by Michigan’s two largest utilities — Consumers Energy and DTE Energy — is celebrating its connection to Energy Week with an educational initiative that addresses the industry, safety, and energy efficiency, along with the launch of getintoenergy.com/Michigan.