Think Your Southwest Gas Bill Is High? It Could Rise 10 Percent

If you've been following the news or perhaps looked at a bill, you may have realized that your natural gas bill from Southwest Gas has been rising as high as your thermostat on a cold, blustery day. Like a game of SimCity, upset citizens picketed in front of the public utility's headquarters demanding lower bills. Well it turns out Southwest Gas wants the costs to go up, not down.

In a meeting this morning with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada (PUCN), the home heating company sought to raise rates 10 percent, citing higher costs.

It almost seems unfair. The prices have shot up considerably over the last year. Why more? Well as a public utility, Southwest Gas (like NV Energy) cannot raise and lower the rates at their convenience. They are effectively a monopoly and, as such, the state has rules for them. They must calculate not only the cost of running the business, but the cost of the raw material - in this case natural gas - to determine the cost they are legally allowed to charge. If they want to charge more, they need to arrive in front of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada with hat in hand to show the numbers and get that higher price approved.

In this case, Southwest Gas cites that natural gas prices have spiked as of late. The higher the rate goes, the more they need to pass that on to the consumer. They say they are not increasing the basic service rate, only trying to make up the revenue on the more expensive natural gas.

Obviously there are certain families who can't easily swallow a rate hike. Southwest Gas does offer financial assistance to those in need and can connect you with state programs to better weatherize your home so your bill doesn't skyrocket further.

Tax season is truly in full swing. Tax deductions and credits are there to help people, so why not take the help? It might seem like a headache having to go through a long list of possible deductions, but it's really not so bad. I've gathered some information directly from the IRS to help you save this tax season. So, let's get into the dollars and cents.

Before we get into the savings, let's look at how credits and deductions work. According to the IRS, "You can claim credits and deductions when you file your tax return to lower your tax. Make sure you get all the credits and deductions you qualify for."

The definition of a credit, according to the IRS, is "an amount you subtract from the tax you owe. This can lower your tax payment or increase your refund." They note that some credits are refundable. That means "they can give you money back even if you don't owe any tax." If you want to claim credits, you must answer questions in your tax filing software. Or, if you're doing taxes the old-fashioned way, you'll have to fill out a form and attach it.

The definition of a deduction, according to the IRS, is "an amount you subtract from your income when you file so you don’t pay tax on it. By lowering your income, deductions lower your tax." In order to do this, you have to have documents to show expenses or losses you want to deduct. You can do this via tax software or, if you're filing a paper return, your deductions go on Form 1040 and you may need to attach extra forms.

Now, the fun part. Read on for tax deductions and credits that could save you cash this season. Here's hoping that Uncle Sam treats you well.

The standard deduction for 2023 is $13,850 for single or married filing separately; $27,700 for married couples filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse; and $20,800 for head of household. "If you're married filing separately, you can't take the standard deduction if your spouse itemizes. You must both choose the same method," the IRS says.

To find the standard deduction if you're over 65 or blind, go here. To find the standard deduction if you're a dependent on someone else's tax return, go here.

According to the IRS, you can deduct these expenses whether you take the standard deduction or itemize:

Alimony payments
Business use of your car
Business use of your home
Money you put in an IRA
Money you put in health savings accounts
Penalties on early withdrawals from savings
Student loan interest
Teacher expenses
For some military, government, self-employed and people with disabilities: work-related education expenses
For military servicemembers: moving expenses

According to the IRS, you can deduct these expenses if you itemize:

Bad debts
Canceled debt on home
Capital losses
Donations to charity
Gains from sale of your home
Gambling losses
Home mortgage interest
Income, sales, real estate and personal property taxes
Losses from disasters and theft
Medical and dental expenses over 7.5% of your adjusted gross income
Miscellaneous itemized deductions
Opportunity zone investment

Tax season can be a confusing time. There are lots of bits and piece that you have to put together. That said, the IRS has a very helpful page with frequently asked questions. Find the list of questions and answers here. As always, it's also a good idea to get a professional to help with any questions.