12, 2012, 11:31 AM

canada goose A Lackluster Winter Could Mean Big Residential Heating Rebates Mandi Woodruff Mar. 12, 2012 2018 canada goose coats , 11:31 AM Muffet via FlickrA mild winter has done wonders for New Jersey homeowners’ heating costs, as the state’s natural gas provider just announced the latest of four monthly rebates in a row. New Jersey Natural Gas will slash residential heating bills by 3.6 percent—about $43.50 over the course of a year—in a move that will put a total of $11.8 million back in consumers’ pockets. Since winter settled in, homes have seen about $221 shaved off their total bills ($94 million overall). Natural gas rebates aren’t uncommon rkliedtke , but an unseasonably warm winter has meant even greater savings for homeowners and small business owners nationwide. In January, Michigan’s Consolidated Gas Co. reported residents paid nearly $30 lesson on their gas bills in December, down 11% over the year prior. At the time, a company spokesman chalked it up to the “lower cost for the gas commodity and warmer weather” (via/The Detroit News). Ditto for nearby Indiana, where the state’s largest power company blamed less-than-frosty temperatures for reducing residents’ bills by 14% in the last year. Too bad the same can’t be said for electricity bills. Half of Americans are paying double what it cost to keep the lights on just a decade ago—a whopping 20 percent of their family budget. Lighting bills are expected to spike once the government starts rolling out plans to upgrade coal power plants in order to reduce emissions. Now see 10 cheap tips on winterizing your home > canada goose parka