FRANKFORT — The Public Service Commission (PSC) is reporting that natural gas costs will be much lower this year, with the typical bill down as much as 39 percent from last year.

Heating bills are becoming more of a concern as the season gets fully underway, with organizations such as the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP settling back into their role to assist with heating costs.

The agency is finishing its first week revisiting the issue, while the public service commission says that effort might be easier this year than last.

“Natural gas prices have come down considerably from the artificially high levels of last year,” said PSC Chairman David Armstrong. “Furthermore, there is reason to think that we may see relatively stable prices for the next several years.”

On average, Kentucky customers can expect to pay about 39 percent less this November than last for 10,000 cubic feet of natural gas with individual reductions varying, said Armstrong.

One reason, according to Armstrong, is that the amount of natural gas in storage for use during the winter is at “historically high levels,” according to data from the Energy Information Administration.

About half of the natural gas used for winter heating is put into storage in the summer. The price at which it was purchased is the price passed on to customers. Until the last decade, natural gas prices were typically considered lower in the summer than in winter. That gap has narrowed in recent years, Armstrong said, due in large part to the increased use of natural gas to generate electricity.

Weather is always the main factor in determining the amount of energy that consumers use to heat their homes and, as a result, then reflect in their heating bill, Armstrong said.

“Lower energy prices do not negate the wisdom of taking steps that will reduce energy consumption in the long term,” he said. “Consumers would be wise to turn some of their immediate savings into permanent investments in weatherization and other measures that will pay off in coming years.”

About 44 percent of Kentuckians heat their homes with natural gas. Those who heat propane, about 10 percent, and fuel oil, about 3 percent, will also be paying less than a year ago, according to commission reports.

The 39 percent of Kentuckians who use electric heat are expected to see relatively little change in their energy bills this winter.