INDIANA, (WOWO):  Colder than average temperatures in January means your next NIPSCO bill will likely be higher than expected.

The average temps across northern Indiana: 17 degrees compared to 28 degrees last year. As a result, the utility says customers used about 35 percent more natural gas for heat than last year. So the average natural gas bill for January is expected to be approximately 36 dollars more than January 2013 and 19 bucks more than what was originally forecasted during NIPSCO's annual winter bill projections. 

NIPSCO executives say even with thermostats being set at a fixed temperature, it doesn’t escape the fact that heating systems have to constantly run to keep up with dropping outdoor temps.