Western Montana residents face higher energy bills due to cold weather

MONTANA — Many residents across western Montana are noticing higher energy bills, which experts say reflect last month's colder weather. This comes as a surprise, with spring temperatures making people wonder why their bills still look like winter.

Utility providers have noted that this period can be confusing for customers. Despite the warmer spring days, many homes continue using more heat than homeowners might realize. The cold nights and early mornings from the previous month can quietly add up to higher energy usage.

Brandy Powers, spokesperson for NorthWestern Energy, explained the situation. "Keep in mind the energy bills really reflect the previous month so you gotta think about the degree days and energy use of the previous month so now that temps are warming up and daylight savings is in effect," said Powers. "We really saw, you know, if you think about your energy use last month you were using our lights were still on longer. Our degree days were very similar with typical winter temps. So a couple things that customers should really keep in mind when considering energy use."

Experts suggest customers track their usage by reviewing their bills each month or logging into their energy accounts online. They also recommend keeping thermostats at a consistent temperature and using programmable settings to help keep costs more predictable.

As residents look forward to spring, they may need to give their bills a little more time to reflect the warmer weather.