NEW YORK – The cold winter is coming back to bite us again. A low supply of natural gas is likely to continue to send energy bills even higher.

The extra-cold weather this past winter has reduced the reserve of natural gas by 38 percent over last year’s supply at this time, according to the Energy Information Administration, a government agency.

Continued demand for natural gas without surefire ways to meet energy needs is only likely to keep pushing prices higher. About 22 percent of natural gas consumption in the United States is for residential use – for heating, cooling and cooking. With the demand for natural gas expected to grow by about 50 percent in the next 20 years, the debate between economic and environmental concerns is heating up in Congress. Some industry leaders are recommending that they be allowed to tap into supplies in the western mountain states and the Gulf of Mexico.

The severity of the next winter will play a key role in the future price of the commodity.

Tax refund scam targets military, e-mail

NEW YORK – The IRS is warning taxpayers not to fall victim to a new scam which singles out members of the armed services, whose military service this year may make them eligible for a tax refund. E-mail users have also been targeted.

In both cases, the scammer poses as an IRS employee and offers tax refunds in exchange for your credit card number, supposedly used to pay for postage.

Most people know that the Internal Revenue Service doesn’t require a taxpayer’s credit card number to issue a refund. But with new forms of identity theft cropping up, it’s important to be vigilant because schemers can use your personal data to take over financial accounts, run up your credit card balances, apply for loans and even file fraudulent tax returns.

Phony IRS employees also have been sending out e-mails, claiming the e-mail recipient has a refund coming if he or she responds to a request for personal and financial information. If you have been targeted in this scam, call the Treasury fraud hotline at 1-800-366-4484.

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