NIPSCO customers protest rising natural gas bills in northwest Indiana

A new report shows American's heating bills are expected to rise 11% this winter, higher than expected. Energy experts said the increase is due to several factors: rising prices for natural gas, electricity, and heating oil; paired with sustained cold weather.

Customers in northwest Indiana are taking their financial fight right directly to utility company NIPSCO.

Ramon Diaz has been cutting hair at Latin Cuts in East Chicago for more than two decades. He said lately he's been forced to make some of the toughest cuts of his career —all due to the increase in his NIPSCO utility bill.

"We're rich. We're just regular people, you know? Regular persons trying to make a living," he said.

Last month, his shop used 206 therms of natural gas, compared to about 150 last January   

NIPSCO said the average customer this winter is using 160 therms per month. 

"I had to raise the booth rental for all the barbers, because the bills keep coming, and this guy just left because he couldn't pay what I was asking," Diaz said.

Next door to the barber shop, Diaz also owns restaurant Pollo Sabroso Asado.

"I've got to pay my employees, I've got to pay insurance, I've got to pay a lot of stuff, and if they don't help out the people, how are we going to keep surviving?" he said. "NIPSCO, you guys got to do something."

Outside of NIPSCO's Merrillville headquarters, a group of northwest Indiana residents protested what they called an unaffordable spike to their heating bills.

"The frustration here is that these bills are becoming so high that people are choosing to either pay their bills or get groceries on the table," said Pastor Leo Tatro, a protest organizer. "We need to go ahead and turn up the heat on NIPSCO in a peaceful manner."

NIPSCO said people are using more energy during this harsh winter. 

"We want to reassure customers that NIPSCO does not control or mark up the cost of natural gas, the gas supply charges. Those prices come directly from market prices, and we simply pass them through based on customer usage," the company said in a statement.

Tatro said their protests aren't going to stop.

"NIPSCO thinks this is going to stop. It's only going to stop when NIPSCO makes the energy affordable again," he said.

NIPSCO also said that they will help people understand and manage their bills, and said payments plans are available for customers.