(Des Moines, IA) -- Natural gas bills are expected to rise this winter, with MidAmerican Energy telling customers to expect them to rise anywhere from 46-96%.
Energy experts are giving people tips on how to potentially save money with the rising costs.
"People that know they have older equipment, right now is the best time to update it before these high energy bills start coming through," Nicholas Wanderscheid, Service Manager with Schaal Plumbing, Heating and Cooling.
They're telling customers they can also reduce costs by setting the thermostat to a lower temperature while they're away and turning it back up once they're home.
MidAmerican says the weather could be a big factor too.
"If its warmer this winter, you probably won't use as much natural gas and maybe your bill won't be as bad," says Geoff Greenwood with MidAmerican. "If its a colder than average winter, that's when you start using more energy. You're bill is going to be higher."
MidAmerican does have a budget billing option that finds an average price for customers to keep bills from fluctuating.