After the arctic temperatures blanketed the region last week, the Superior Utilities Department is reminding residents they will likely see a sharp increase in their upcoming utility bill.

On average the residential monthly gas usage doubled and the electric usage was not far behind that. Additionally, the cost for the commodity itself increased as gas usage skyrocketed across the country and several power plants went out of service because of the extreme temperatures.

The local utilities tried to control these costs through a variety of real time decisions. The local gas department pur...