Wichita ? Heating bills in Kansas are likely to remain stable this winter, officials say.

“We’re not anticipating that people are going to be real surprised by (heating) prices this winter,” said Niki Christopher, a lawyer with the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board, a state consumer group.

Natural gas and electric utilities agree, although propane prices are up.

“When we compare this month to December 2006, the cost of gas is slightly lower than what we paid this time last year,” said Al Walker, a spokesman for Kansas Gas Service.

“But we’re still trying to encourage our customers to conserve energy as best they can,” he said. “Keep the cold air outside by insulating and weather-stripping and try to lower the thermostat setting.”

Last December, the price for natural gas was $8.43 per 1,000 cubic feet at Kansas Gas Service, a division of Tulsa, Okla.-based ONEOK Inc. Now it’s just less than $8.01. At Kansas City, Mo.-based Aquila Inc., the price was $8.67 last December and is about $8 now, according to the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board.

People who heat their homes with electricity also shouldn’t see an increase in prices this winter, said Randy Degenhardt, senior director of energy efficiency for Topeka-based Westar Energy Inc.

“And the rate in winter is actually a declining block rate,” he said. “The more you use, the cheaper it gets.”

However, propane prices are slightly higher than last year, said Greg Schmitz of the Andale Farmers Co-op, where propane is selling for $1.95 a gallon, compared with $1.59 this time last year.

Many people in rural areas outside Wichita heat their homes with propane, he said. Some aren’t happy with the prices, he said, but those who prepaid at $1.59 a gallon are feeling pretty good.