I have been a utility customer for 45 years, but when I got my gas bill my units went down but the rates went up.

I asked a gas employee and he said he didn’t know it until he got his bill. It was a 30 percent increase.

I called the gas warehouse and the lady said, “sir, we haven’t had an increase, you must have a leak. I will send someone out.”

I said, “Ma’am, you had better check with the utilities,” and she referred me to customer service.

I called and they said there was a 30 percent increase. I said without a prior warning, and she said that’s the way the Gas Board is.

Doesn’t the Gas Board know or even care that us old folks have to juggle our Social Security checks to make our payments.

If they had warned us we could have lowered the thermostat, closed off some rooms and changed to electric, wood or coal heat.

Don’t get me wrong, Russellville is a nice place to live and raise a family so far, but I think we should be informed of any DRASTIC changes that we have to live by.

I also talked to a councilman and he didn’t know about the increase.

Bobby Sutton

Russellville