Page 2 March 3, 2016 ‘Monster’ Gas Co. Bills Investigated By Rob McCarthy A preliminary investigation found no irregularities with Southern Gas Company bills that tripled home-heating costs in December and January and created suspicions that a massive gas leak near Porter Ranch was already costing customers. Mark Pocta, spokesman for the Office of Ratepayer Advocate in San Francisco, told the Herald Publications that chilly weather and higher gas usage were behind the run-up in household utility bills. His office reviewed customer bills after receiving complaints from SoCal Gas households about higherthan normal winter bills. “We’ve looked at SoCal Gas rates and their rates really have not changed significantly over the past approximately five months since September,” Pocta said. Public speculation was that the Aliso Canyon storage leak was being charged already to gas customers. Another theory was the Gas Co. raised rates but didn’t announce it. The Ratepayer Advocate Office said neither was true, and that its initial investigation had a simpler explanation. “We’ve talked to a number of people about this issue, and we think that the issue is likely related to cold weather during the winter, so the bills have been higher.” The Ratepayer Advocate is a unit of the Public Utilities Commission. The office advocates for customer and environmental protections while working to obtain the lowest rate for public utility service. This winter has been the coldest since 2011, the Gas Co. said after the public outcry over bills for December and January. Customers in winter use up to seven times more gas for home heating, explained in a newsletter sent out last week. The Los Angeles City Council in mid- January called on the commission to investigate SoCal Gas bills for winter heating. Councilman Mitch Englander said his $60 monthly bill jumped to $200 in January. He questioned whether the smart meters used by The Gas Co. were accurate. The California Public Utilities Commission is investigating the complaints by Southern Californians who were shocked to see their home-heating bills three times the norm to start 2016, said spokesman Christopher Chow. The commission’s early findings found chilly weather that had residents cranking up the thermostat. “Home heating drives most of the residential gas bills so cold weather will increase gas bills,” Chow said. The December billing period was longer by two to four days for some customers, a result of the holidays. January’s billing period reflected in February bills was two to four days shorter, Chow explained. The drilling operation to cap the leak near Porter Ranch is not costing customers, he said. SoCal Gas said it stopped the methanegas leak on Feb. 12, four months after San Fernando Valley residents began complaining about a strong odor, nausea, headaches and nosebleeds, according to health officials. “None of the costs incurred by SoCalGas to resolve the Aliso Canyon Storage Field leak are included in customer rates,” Chow said. Residential gas rates were slightly higher in December for the typical customer because the wholesale price of natural gas rose 4 percent, according to the commission spokesman. SoCal Gas passes along the higher wholesale cost to its customers. On top of the wholesale price increase, residential usage in December nearly doubled from the month before, according to the Public Utilities Commission. The commission continues to investigate specific high bills that are cannot be explained by the weather, higher usage or holiday billing period, Chow said. It’s likely that February bills will be lower because of unseasonably hot weather. Metereologists say that high pressure settled over the region, reversing the El Nino effect. They expect the heaviest of the winter storms to arrive in March and April. Westside residents complained to L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin that December and January’s gas bills were pricey even for the winter. At least one Porter Ranch resident who stayed in his home told the L.A. Daily News his monthly bill was more than three times the $100 amount he and his wife pay to heat their 1,800-square-foot home. “Suddenly, I get this monster bill,” Arthur Kalnit said. A newsletter mailed last week to gas customers contained “Winter Billing FAQs.” Half of a household’s winter bill is for home heating. The water heater accounts for 25 percent of the bill. Without realizing it, household customers use between three and seven times more gas in the winter than other months, the newsletter said. Consumers who think their winter bills are inaccurate should contact SoCal Gas to go over their usage, and if they are not satisfied with the outcome, to file a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission. The web site to make a complaint is www.cpuc.ca.gov/ complaints. • Gene Cernan Tells His Story of Being The Last Man on the Moon By Morgan Rojas for www.CINEMACY.com On Wednesday, February 24th, scientists detected the origin point of a space radio signal 6 billion light-years away and managed to find the universe’s missing matter as a result. This incredible discovery is a strong reminder of how far we’ve come since 1969, the moment when Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong declared the first successful mission to the Moon as One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Since Armstrong, twelve men in total have walked on the moon during the Apollo missions from 1969-1972. Of these 12, Eugene “Gene” Cernan was the last, and the documentary The Last Man on the Moon is his story. Cernan’s story is a unique one; a former Navy captain, his journey towards becoming a NASA astronaut started with a simple phone call. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set the bar high for U.S. space exploration, putting pressure on the space program to be the first country to land on the moon. This public assignment given to NASA resulted in an increased demand for anyone willing to participate in the program, which lead to more opportunities for people like Gene to join. Getting his foot in the door was the easy part, he realizes in hindsight. The intense training that each of the aspiring young men endured, including desert survival, water survival, and jungle survival just to name a few, was the hard part. The best thing to come from that experience, Gene remarks, was the strong bonds he made with the other men. His close friendships with his co-workers also made the tough times almost unbearable. Two deadly events, the unexpected crash of Gemini 9 which claimed the lives of the two pilots in his crew as well as the emotional Apollo 1 fire of 1967, when his neighbor and good friend Roger Chaffee and two other men died as a result of a flash cabin fire in the shuttle, shook up Cernan’s world. At the time, he was married with a young daughter and the thought of never seeing his family again was extremely hard on him. However, when he was selected to be a part of the Apollo 17 crew, NASA’s last mission to the moon, Cernan couldn’t say no. Cernan spent three days on the moon. Right before he was about to leave, and knowing that man may not be back on the moon again for years, he left his footprints and wrote his daughter’s initials in the lunar dust. He describes this moment with such intimacy and detail that it’s truly humbling to listen to him. It does not feel like a traditional “documentary style” film, thanks to the stylized approach from director Mark Craig as he strikes the perfect balance between the portrayal of Gene’s personal and work life. He cuts between Gene in the present day with archival footage of his time at NASA, which, photographically, feels like a subtle effort to relive his experience. The B-roll of various space missions really does make The Martian look like a comedy. The Last Man on the Moon is a top notch documentary that feels like a perfect fit on the HBO or Showtime roster. It is humbling, poignant, hard-hitting, and emotionally charged, on top of being aesthetically rich and visually beautiful. Without giving too much away, I can say that the last shot will take your breath away as it did mine. The Last Man on the Moon is not all happy endings. This is a deeply personal film for Cernan which is why it took until now, 40 years since his return to earth, to share his story. Now living on a ranch in Texas, Gene still works to this day, as his friends and family admit that “retirement” is not in his vocabulary. This film and its message is so important and will leave the viewer feeling inspired from both Gene’s words and actions. Lightheartedly joking that he can’t live forever, he wants to share his knowledge and experience now because he feels an obligation to inform the younger generations about man’s potential and inspire hope for the future. “I walked on the moon,” he says at the end of the film, “What can’t you do?” The Last Man on the Moon is playing at Laemmle’s Monica Fourplex. • Film Review Gene Cernan aboard the lunar module after his final EVA. Photo: Jack Schmitt / NASA. Call Now 800-409-2420 Call Now 800-918-4172 Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications? You can save up to 93% when you fi ll your prescriptions with our Canadian and International prescription service. 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Offers Financial Help Are you behind on paying the gas bill? The Gas Co. can enroll you in a financialassistance program that fits your situation, if your income and living situation qualify. For example, the CARE program has a 20 percent discount on a gas bill. IHEAP offers energy assistance for low-income households. Or, the Gas Assistance Fund awards a one-time $100 grant to eligible customers. Medical Baseline is for people with major health concerns. The MIDI program funds energy-efficient home improvements. Gas Co. program funding is limited and awarded on a first-come basis. For a list of Gas Co. programs, visit https://www. socalgas.com/save-money-and-energy/ assistance-programs. •
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