Opting out of higher bills

Re “Who profits from California’s soaring fuel prices? Let’s find out,” Opinion, March 13

A few days ago, I wrote out a check that does not cover what I owe the Southern California Gas Co. The bill is too high for me to pay on my fixed retirement income. My fear is that I will no longer be able to afford heating my home.

I had always paid my bills on time and in full. I am angry that the greedy profiteers benefiting from high natural gas prices couldn’t care less about the people who scrape by, as they hide from our scrutiny even though, according to op-ed article writer Jamie Court, they earned a fortune from spot market prices that were 10 times higher than usual.

It is my hope that they are exposed and pay a fine for not being transparent in generating windfall profits off poor people. If this continues, I hope others will join me in choosing not to pay one additional dime on our SoCalGas bills.

Carolyn Dyer Tujunga

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This January, my gas bill was $117. I began to leave most rooms of my house unheated and to wear three layers of clothes.

The February bill was a stiff $250. So I conserved more and waited for the next bill. With it came notes saying that, compared to other customers, I was doing very well. I still owned an astonishing $346.

I hope the folks at SoCalGas responsible for this have warm homes that allow them to live with fewer than three layers of clothes.

Aubrey Beauchamp Capistrano Beach