There’s a hint of fall in the air right now. They’re roasting chiles across the street from my parents’ house, and the temperature dropped below 60 a couple of times this week (16C).

I’ve been working on a piece for the paper on energy-saving steps you can take to get ready for higher natural gas bills this winter. EIA is forecasting prices up at least 20 percent this winter over last for natural gas heating (the dominant source here in New Mexico for home heating). PNM, which provides our natural gas, is forecasting slightly less of an increase, but definitely above last year.

We’ll have a snazzy package in the paper in a few weeks on the low-hanging fruit around your house for saving gas, but you really don’t need me to tell you what to do. Most of the stuff is obvious.