Bold opening: El Paso families are staring at gas bills that nearly double, and many are left wondering what happened and who’s telling the truth.
El Paso residents report that their most recent natural gas bills jumped far beyond what they’ve paid in recent months. In several cases, totals nearly doubled, and a number of customers say they did not receive any notice of a new increase.
When people looked closely at the line items, they found charges that rose sharply. For example, Karla Urias Couder highlighted a delivery charge that suddenly leaped from $1–$3 to $28, and a customer charge that climbed to $35. She noted, “This month the gas bill was ridiculously expensive. It went from around $50–$60 to about $132.”
Other El Pasoans reported similar spikes. One person shared that their bill exceeded $180, whereas prior bills were sometimes as low as $20–$30. Another example: a typical $80 monthly bill becoming roughly $200 in the latest cycle.
Many customers called customer service seeking explanations. They were told the higher totals could reflect winter usage, but some questioned whether seasonal demand alone could justify such a dramatic increase.
Statements like, “They say it’s due to winter, and more than double? That doesn’t make sense,” echo the frustration of households already living paycheck to paycheck. For some families, the higher bills intensify everyday financial strain—making it harder to buy groceries or fuel for work.
Texas Gas Service attributes the rise to three factors: increased winter usage, higher overall gas costs, and a recent rate-design update. The utility advised customers to contact them about payment plans or assistance options.
Importantly, the reported spikes do not appear to be connected to a previously reported rate increase affecting El Paso Electric bills.
Practical tips and resources:
- Energy-saving ideas for both winter and summer are available at TexasGasService.com/energytips. Useful examples include sealing leaks around doors and windows with weather-stripping or caulk, covering windows with towels, sheets, or plastic if needed, sealing air leaks in unfinished basements, regularly changing or cleaning filters, installing foam gaskets on switches and outlets, and using ceiling fans in reverse (clockwise) to push warm air downward.
- To stay informed about local news, you can sign up to receive daily top stories from your community.
If you’d like, I can summarize the key takeaways or help draft questions you might use in a call with the utility to discuss billing options and any potential relief programs.
