Sunday Special: The High Cost of Keeping Warm

        Natural gas prices are at historic highs, and Tristate heating bills are too. Here are answers to some questions you've been asking in response to our Jan. 28 Special Report: The High Cost of Keeping Warm:

        Question: I know natural gas prices are rising. But why is the price of propane rising, too?

        Answer: Propane is a byproduct of natural gas processing and petroleum refining. As prices increase for gas and oil, they increase for propane, too.

GOT QUESTIONS?

Send us your questions about energy bills and conservation, and we'll ask the experts. Use the convenient e-mail form at Cincinnati.com. Or:     Mail to Betty Barnett, Enquirer reader representative, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.     Call (513) 768-8299 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.     Please include your name and phone number.

        The average price of propane for residential heating is about $1.69 a gallon, up from $1.08 a gallon a year ago, according to the federal Energy Information Agency. About 3 percent of Tristate homes are heated by propane.

        This winter, as the wholesale price for natural gas has quadrupled from a year ago, some propane producers have found it more profitable to sell their natural gas supplies than invest the time and money to convert it to propane.

        That's reduced propane supplies and caused the price to increase.

        Q: Why aren't we looking into building and operating nuclear power plants?

        A: No nuclear power plants have been built in the United States for years. Concerns about safety and nuclear waste have made it too expensive compared with producing fuels such as coal and oil.

        But nuclear power is getting a second look from some power producers, as fossil-based fuels come under increasing attack for creating pollution.

        Still, there are no nuclear plants currently on the drawing boards in the United States. Even if there were, Alan Schriber, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, says it would take 10 to 15 years before one could be completed and begin producing power because of the regulatory approvals and construction required.

        Q: Would I save money by turning down my thermostat and using small electric room heaters to help heat my home?

        A: Yes, if you and your family spend most of your time in a small room that an electric unit could heat. Jim Snodgrass, an energy auditor for Cinergy, recommends looking for small, energy-efficient models that use ceramic discs. However, if you're trying to heat your entire home, you'll do better using your gas furnace, Mr. Snodgrass says.

        Q: I want to apply for the $250 cash from the state to help pay my energy bills. Who do I call?

        The one-time assistance available under Gov. Bob Taft's Project Thaw can pay half of an unpaid heating bill, up to $250. Eligible: a family of four earning $34,100 a year or less, a couple making $22,500 or a single person making $16,700.

        • In Butler County, applications are available at all county social service organizations, such as the Salvation Army and United Way, and at utility companies. Applications also are available at the county offices in Middleton, 159 City Centre Mall; or in Hamilton, 315 High St., 9th Floor. Call (800) 582-4267 for more information or to have an application mailed.

        • In Clermont County, applications are available at the county's Job and Family Services office, 2400 Clermont Center Drive in Batavia. Call 732-7111 for more information or to have an application mailed.

        • In Warren County, applications are available at the county Department of Human Services, 416 S. East St., Lebanon. Call 695-1461 for more information or to have applications mailed.

        • Hamilton County has yet to work out where people can pick up applications or how the program will be administered. No telephone line has been established to call for information.

Another rate hike in pipeline
Jan. 28 Special Report: The High Cost of Keeping Warm

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