As winter arrives, natural gas is becoming less expensive thumbnail Natural gas, the nation’s most prevalent heating fuel, is getting cheaper just as winter is arriving because supplies are plentiful and temperatures have been mild. The price of natural gas has dropped 30 percent in a month, to $3.14 per 1,000 cubic feet on Tuesday from $4.50 in late November. That’s a steep drop even for a fuel notorious for volatile price swings. The lower prices are expected to linger and could reduce electricity prices and heating bills in the coming months. Natural gas is used by half of the nation’s households for heating and to generate 26 percent of the nation’s electricity. Kansas City area consumers who pay a cost-of-gas charge that changes monthly should see a decline. But the effect of the lower wholesale price is muted because area gas utilities have already bought some of their […]