We Energies: Natural gas bills up again Associated Press MILWAUKEE (AP) - Wisconsin residents shivering through bitter cold got more bad news about utility costs. We Energies said Friday that the cold winter and rising natural gas prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange mean prices for the home heating fuel are 12 percent higher than at this time last year. The Milwaukee-based utility reminded customers it can offer services to help customers manage their heating costs through such things as budget billing, which figures in the higher winter bills when determining an average monthly amount the customer can pay year-round. Charley Cole, senior vice president-customer operations, said the utility is taking measures meant to control the cost to customers. "This includes buying natural gas in the summer, when it is less expensive, and putting that gas in storage, and using financial tools such as long-term contracts," he said. "We don't want our customers to be caught off guard by increased bills for January and February. The current below zero temperatures will result in increased use of natural gas by all of our customers."