Home heating costs to stay steady

With another home heating season upon us, there is an over-supply of natural gas in North America and prices for that commodity are expected to remain depressed.

In turn, that means bills to fire up the furnace or fireplace will likely remain on par with rates most homeowners paid last year.

Gas bills last winter averaged from about $80 a month in October to just over $200  last January.

Ed Kallio with Ziff Energy believes those rates will likely remain the same in the coming months.

Kallio says before Alberta gas producers get excited, they need to see prices almost double from their current level.

With the province pulling the plug on the natural gas rebate program last winter,  many consumers are glad prices are not headed higher

Between 2003 and 2009, the province subsidized the heating bills of Alberta  homeowners by $1.9-billion.