Natural Gas Crime Spree

Dear Wealth Daily Reader,

Natural gas prices have plummeted over the past month-and-a-half on increasing supplies and unusually warm weather. But seasoned Wealth Daily readers know that today’s prices won’t hold for very long.

Natural gas prices will explode ahead of a cold spell or blizzard in the northeastern U.S. states. So you can be sure that natural gas at $8 won’t last long.

And yeah, I have to admit it. I’ve thought about it before. I’d never go through with it, but the idea has certainly crossed my mind: Stealing natural gas.

Natural Gas Crime Spree
Homeowners Stealing Thousands in Natural Gas

Across the country natural gas meters are being stolen from abandoned or vacant houses and are being installed in occupied homes.

By installing the stolen meters, homeowners can still receive the natural gas they need to heat their home and not be charged for gas consumption, cheating their gas companies out of tens of thousands of dollars.

Here’s how they’re doing it.

A customer shuts his own gas service off by either by removing the existing meter and capping the pipe coming out of the ground or placing a lock on the existing meter.

At that point, as far as the gas companies know, the customer is using no natural gas at all. And since the gas company doesn’t have any record of natural gas use, there is no reason for anyone to go out there and read the meter.

By installing a stolen gas meter, homeowners can then tap back into the gas line and bypass the legitimate gas meters that have been shut off or completely removed.

The illegal meters usually are outside of the house, often obscured by bushes so no one sees them.

A single resident can save anywhere between $250 to $500 a month.

In fact one Michigan man is believed to have already stolen $3,000 worth of natural gas from SEMCO Energy Inc.

But here’s the catch: It’s Illegal!!!

And not only is stealing natural gas a jailable offense, installing a gas meter is very dangerous. Especially if you don’t know what you’re doing.

The new trend in stealing natural gas really validates the seriousness of the coming energy crisis.

People are beginning to get desperate. Even though natural gas prices have been on a downward spiral over the past 45 days, prices are still 46% higher than one year ago.

Predict the House of Pain
Contest Ends in Two Days

You only have two days before Wealth Daily’s Predict the House of Pain contest ends.

If you’re new to Wealth Daily or you missed the details, let me go through the particulars one last time.

We’re offering $1,500 to the person who can predict the price of natural gas on the last trading day before spring this year. (March 17th)

Here’s how it’s going to work.

Contestants will predict what the closing price of NYMEX natural gas futures on March 17, 2006 will be. In the case of a tie, contestants will also be asked to guess the price of a barrel of oil on the same date.

The person who comes closest to the final closing price wins $1,500!

Entering this contest is free and easy.

If you’re interested in a chance to make your heating bill $0 this winter, and would like to enter our new contest simply click here.

Like I just said it’s completely free and totally easy.

But don’t delay. Contestants must register their guess by Tuesday. That only gives you less than 36 hours to enter.


– Luke Burgess