This year, Ameren, Champaign-Urbana’s energy company, increased the cost of gas. As temperatures continue to drop, University students living on campus and off-campus are trying to conserve energy and money.

The average customers’ November gas bills will be about $20 more than last November, according to an Ameren press release. The company has raised last month’s bill as a result of various national problems.

Ameren sent out warnings about the price increases, but the full impact on customers has not been determined yet.

“We’re early in the heating season, so most customers haven’t received a bill yet,” Shirley Swarthout, spokeswoman for Ameren, said in a phone interview.

The reasons for the price hike include higher wholesale gas prices, decreased natural gas production due to strict federal policies, and the effects of natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina.

Although Ameren does not produce its own natural gas, the company does purchase its gas at wholesale prices. The cause for higher bills is the result of supply and demand fluctuations within the natural gas market.

Laura Chen, senior in LAS, said so far she and her roommate have not been negatively affected by the increase in gas prices, because they only recently turned on the heat in their apartment. Despite not receiving last month’s statement yet, Chen does acknowledge inevitable price increases. Last year she lived in a three-bedroom apartment with an average utility bill of about $25-$35 per month.

“Everyone has Ameren IP,” Chen said. “The whole bill, power bill, in general, is more expensive.”

Even though Chen has not seen any financial problems, she said her apartment is not as warm as she would like it. The kitchen in her apartment is on the top floor and there is an uneven distribution of heat, Chen said.

“Sometimes I do my homework in the kitchen because it’s so heated,” Chen said.

Another University student who wanders her apartment to find a source of warm air is Christina Beltran, sophomore in LAS. She and her roommate walk around their apartment wearing coats because they usually turn the heat on at night, so pipes do not freeze, and in the living room, where they can control the temperature.

Beltran said she often spends nights at her sister’s apartment where the heat flows more liberally.

“It’s economical,” Beltran said.

However, what is not economical for Beltran and other residents is that they must keep the thermostat set to at least 60?F during the upcoming winter break.

Although Carlos Alcantar, senior in LAS, has electric heating, he and his roommates are trying to maintain a warm environment. He shares a house with five other people and in order to keep the heat from escaping the house, they have put towels between the doors and the floor.

Walking around your apartment wearing a bulky down coat or relocating to another area may be temporary solutions for a cold house, but Ameren has provided tips for staying warm and conserving money and heat.

Some tips are easier than others. Instead of placing towels under doors, Ameren also suggests weather-stripping the doors with other material such as plastic or rubber strips that can be taped or nailed. Another tip for keeping out the cold air is to tape plastic sheets across windows or caulk the cracks around windows.

Miriam Booth, the General Manager for Bankier Apartments, said one of the most effective things residents can do is clean boiler filters.

“The filter improves air flow, efficiency, and comfort,” Booth said in a phone interview.

The most logical tip offered by Ameren, is to maintain a reasonable temperature, one that does not increase utility bills, but also that also does not provide an unhealthy and uncomfortable atmosphere.