NJ natural gas rate hikes will turn us all into our parents (Opinion)

It’s going to be staggering and many who don’t pay attention to news will be blindsided. It’s going to cost millions of New Jersey residents a lot more to heat their homes, cook a meal and get hot water in October.

Four natural gas providers were granted double-digit rate hikes on Wednesday by the NJ Board of Public Utilities.

How bad will it be?

PSE&G is granted a nearly 25% rate hike.

Elizabethtown Gas is going up almost 23%.

South Jersey Gas Company 18.6%.

New Jersey Natural Gas 15.8%.

This hurts. And despite the writing on the wall about production and supply issues wouldn’t we all love to see the paychecks of the upper brass at these companies?

If you need help the state has this online tool to figure out eligibility but it is limited. So what do you do?

We’re all going to be hearing our parents' words coming out of our mouths as if we became a medium overnight. Channeling their voices saying things like, “Are you trying to heat the whole damn neighborhood? Close the door!”

Or, “Turn the thermostat down and put on the robe we bought you that you never wear!”

Indeed, utilities are giving energy-saving tips like setting your thermostat 2 degrees lower than you normally have it when home. And when not home? 5 to 10 degrees lower. Yikes. Now THAT needs your parent’s voice!

“I want to see meat hanging in here when you first get home from school! Money doesn’t grow on trees!”

The runaway cost of everything in New Jersey is enough to make you old. Now I’m going to have to ask you to get off my lawn. I may need that drought-dried grass to burn in my fireplace this winter.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

You can now listen to Deminski & Doyle — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite afternoon radio show any day of the week. Download the Deminski & Doyle show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.

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