- Gainesville Regional Utilities raised its fuel adjustment cost by 5 mills again in February due to rising natural gas prices.
- Natural gas prices surged because cold winter weather increased demand for heating across large U.S. areas.
- GRU customers will pay 45 mills per kilowatt-hour next month, adding about $5 to a 1,000 kWh bill.
- GRU recommends energy-saving tips like setting thermostats to 68°F and weather stripping to offset higher fuel costs.
Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) announced Thursday that it would again raise its fuel adjustment cost by 5 mills in February, following a mirror increase for January.
The adjustment comes as natural gas prices skyrocket because of the winter storm hitting large swaths of the country, GRU said in a press release. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said last week that cold weather increases demand for space heaters and electricity and causes the price to rise.
The administration showed a steep increase in natural gas prices that started as the winter weather approached.
GRU electric customers will pay 45 mills for next month’s bill (or one thousandth of a cent for every kilowatt hour of electricity). For a 1,000-kilowatt-hour monthly bill, the increase means an extra $5.
“We do our best to insulate our customers from these spikes in natural gas prices and the resultant impact on their electric bill through our hedging strategies,” GRU CEO Ed Bielarski said in a release.
At the GRU Authority’s Jan. 14 meeting, Bielarski addressed the recent change to the fuel adjustment charge. He said the utility had been paying $3 per million British thermal units in the summer of 2025. In mid-January, that cost was up to $5.
The fuel adjustment on bills is a straight pass-through cost, with the utility earning no revenue from that portion. The Jacksonville Energy Authority changes its fuel adjustment cost on a monthly basis as natural gas fluctuates.
Bierlarsk said GRU’s adjustment cost hasn’t kept pace with the natural gas prices.
“We’re not even increasing in proportion to what our internal costs are going up at this point,” Bielarski said at the January meeting. “And it’s not going to be for the whole year, but it’ll be a little blip.”
To offset the fuel charge and colder weather, GRU recommends the following:
- Set your thermostat to 68° F.
- Raise your thermostat one or two degrees at a time to avoid activating expensive emergency heat strips.
- Lower your thermostat when leaving home for eight hours or more.
- Weather strip doors and caulk windows.
- Check your air filter monthly and change it when needed.
- Open curtains during the day to let sunlight in and then close them at night.
- Keep your fireplace damper closed when not in use.
- Set the temperature on your hot water heater to 120°.