Richmonders who cook and heat with natural gas are about to be hit with a sharp jump in the cost of the fuel heading into winter.

Beginning with the October bills, city consumers will face a 48 percent hike in the portion of the bill called Purchased Gas Cost (PGC), which covers the cost of the fuel, the city Department of Public Utilities has announced.

The hike will send the PGC from the current 38.5 cents per 100 cubic feet of gas to 57 cents per 100 cubic feet used, DPU noted. That’s the highest level in at least six years.

One hundred cubic feet, the base unit for DPU, is equal to 750 gallons.

DPU estimates the average customer uses 70 units or 7,000 cubic feet of gas a year, and could expect to pay an extra $12.95 a month. The gas bill also includes other taxes and charges, including one covering the cost of piping the natural gas to homes and businesses.

The hike in the PGC, which the department sets to recover its cost of purchasing natural gas, would be among the largest in recent years and push the PGC to its highest level since 2014.

Consumers have enjoyed relatively stable pricing of natural gas since 2014 because of abundant supplies. DPU dropped the PGC to its current level in April 2020 as demand shrank during the pandemic.

But conditions have changed in recent months. Supplies have fallen in this country and abroad, sending the price of natural gas and its cousin, liquified propane gas, soaring around the globe.

One big reason for supply shortages: Hurricane Ida. The late August storm wreaked havoc on a major center of produc- tion, the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Energy Information Agency, cutting up to

60 percent of production in the area. Meanwhile, the hot summer boosted demand for air conditioning that led to increased purchases by utilities for fuel to generate electricity. Demand also kicked up due to increased economic activity after the pandemic restrictions were lifted, the EIA noted.

The bottom line: The supply of natural gas has fallen and the amounts in storage have disappeared, leading to price hikes as demand continues to be strong.

The EIA has projected that the price of natural gas could potentially remain above recent averages for at least another year before supplies again match or exceed demand.

DPU noted that even with the price hike, natural gas is still cheaper to use than electric- ity, heating oil, propane and kerosene.

For those who need help to pay the increase, DPU is urging people to call (804) 646-4646 for ways to spread the cost or obtain assistance.