Traders Lied to Inflate your heat bill

We wuz robbed, I tried to tell everybody there was NO REASON for the high gas bills this
winter, you are just wearing that tin hat of yours-everybody said. Well, yes, I am wearing
my tin hat and YES we wuz robbed. I don't care if this is from 2000, monkey see, monkey do.
5 states investigated this last winter and said there was NO REASON for the the price of
natural gas and that consumers were bilked out of millions. Congress knows, there was a report submitted to them but what was the follow-up?????

Three Traders Plead Guilty in Ongoing Probe Into Natural Gas Price Manipulation
6/19/2006 6:28:00 PM
SAN FRANCISCO, June 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Three gas traders pleaded guilty this morning to conspiracy to manipulate the price of a commodity in interstate commerce, U.S. Attorney Kevin V. Ryan announced today. This guilty plea is the result of a two- year investigation by the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Paul Atha, 39, Christopher Joseph McDonald, 38, and Michael Whalen, 36, admitted in their plea agreements that they conspired to report fictitious trades to an industry newsletter, Inside FERC, from approximately July 1, 2000, to Nov. 1, 2000. They acknowledged reporting the fictitious trades in an attempt to skew the published index prices of natural gas in the direction that would benefit Mirant or Cinergy's natural gas positions in the market.
"The false data these traders provided to an industry newsletter skewed published prices so the company could illegally profit," said U.S. Attorney Kevin V. Ryan. "This continuing investigation should send a message to traders and companies that they can be held criminally accountable for illegally manipulating data."

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=67773

Gee isn't THAT just great news!!!!

Attorney General Lautenschlager Testimony on Natural Gas Pricing Before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

The wellhead price of natural gas in the six-year period of 2000-2005 increased by over $400 billion dollars compared to the previous six years Winter heating bills in the Midwest this winter are projected to be up by $250 per household, or 28 percent, compared to last winter, despite a 5 percent decline in consumption and record levels of gas in storage. They are up by over $600 compared to five years ago.
Our investigation does not support the commonly repeated mantra that “soaring” demand is driving natural gas prices. Both demand and supply have been relatively flat and steady over the past decade. The price of natural gas, meanwhile, has been all over the place, with peaks and valleys that constantly ratchet upwards.


http://www.doj.state.wi.us/news/2006/nr031406_PL.asp

..and they're probably going to pull the meter this week.

I run my stove and my water-heater off gas, and use really negligible amounts. Screw that. I'll take cold showers and grill outdoors all summer. I've paid over $1000 in deposits on various utilities and I'm through giving these bloodsuckers any more money!!!!!

A bit of a pain in the butt because you have to remember to have them change out the cannisters, but if you aren't using much gas anyway, that would encourage your conservation and put you in control of your use and expenses.

on this month's bill, I used $17.04 worth of gas and had to pay a "delivery fee" for it to come
out of the pipe of $10.72.