&uot;It’s rough honey. It’s rough,&uot; Natchez resident Dolly Landrum said Friday, referring to a more than $39 increase in her monthly natural gas bill. Like many elderly people struggling to meet expenses, Landrum said she was was dismayed to see the increase, which officials blame on record cold and an increase in natural gas prices. &uot;It was $30 last month. This month it was $69.90.&uot;

And her situation is not unique.

Many local residents and businesses may have higher bills this month, say officials with the Mississippi Valley Gas Company, which serves Adams County.

&uot;It’s been a whole lot colder than we’ve been used to in the past two to three years,&uot; said James Moore, manager of Mississippi Valley Gas in Natchez.

For example, one Mississippi Valley Gas customer had a November bill of $36.14 and a December bill of $227.13, said company officials in a press release.

And prices for Mississippi Valley Gas Company customers are expected to get worse before they get better, officials said, in part because of rising prices for natural gas. The price has increased from $2.70 per MMBtu in May to more than $9.60 per MMBtu this month, officials said.

The company passes these increases on to the consumer but does not generate any extra revenue for the company, Moore said. &uot;We don’t make any more for the price,&uot; said Moore, adding that the jump in natural gas prices is rare. &uot;I’ve been with the company 42 years, and I’ve never seen it do this before.&uot;

The increase has sparked a number of complaints from consumers.

&uot;We are experiencing a deluge of calls from customers who cannot believe their natural gas bill is correct,&uot; said Phil Hardwick, vice president of community and economic development for Mississippi Valley Gas. &uot;Unfortunately, it appears that there is no mistake. We feel that we have a responsibility to inform customers that January bills may even be higher.&uot;

In recent weeks, Moore said the Natchez office also has received numerous calls from customers asking if something was wrong with their bills or the system.

The company has been looking into the calls but so far &uot;we’re not finding anything wrong. It’s just usage,&uot; Moore said.

To save on costs, Moore recommends people turn their heat down to 60 degrees at night and to 65 degrees during the day, wearing extra layers of clothing, if necessary.

To further assist low-income families with high utility bills,the Department of Human Services to release $155 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds this month.

The federal government also released $400 million in LIHEAP funds in September.