San Diego restaurant sees natural gas bill soar $6k in one month: They're 'running us out of here'

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San Diego restaurant's energy bill soars by $6k in one month

Rudford's owners Jeff Kacha and Nick Kacha joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss how rising energy prices have impacted their ability to do business. 

San Diego restaurant owners are demanding action over the city's soaring energy prices after their natural gas bill spiked $6,000 – equivalent to a 400% surge – in just one month. 

Rudford's Restaurant owners Jeff and Nick Kacha joined "Fox & Friends First" Thursday to discuss how politicians have betrayed the city's small business owners as they struggle to stay afloat amid rampant inflation. 

"They're not exactly representing the people here in San Diego, I can tell you that," Nick told Ashley Strohmier. "It just seems like they're throwing businesses under the bus… we bring in so much tax revenue and everything for the city of San Diego. And they're here like stabbing us in the back almost with all these costs and allowing all these companies to do whatever they like… It's sad to see… the people are suffering."

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"There's just people that say they can't afford their bills any longer," he continued. These are the people that need it most, and… it just doesn't seem like they're representing any of us."

Rudford's Restaurant, a staple diner in the North Park neighborhood of the city, had a natural gas bill ringing in at $2,200 in December 2022. 

In January this year, that same bill surged to $8,200, which is specifically for natural gas only. The pair noted that bill does not account for electricity, which is typically around $5,000 now each month. 

Rudford's Restaurant is a decades-old diner in North Park, San Diego

"We can't continue to raise our prices… until nobody shows up," Jeff said. "This is a very blue collar restaurant… we're all on a tight budget. We try to control our costs… We're just trying to do the best that we can."

"We're hoping that there'll be some relief and that… our politicians do take action and control these costs," he continued. 

Nick said California energy company SDG&E had just "dropped" on them that their bill would surge at the end of December. 

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The company announced this week, however, that February prices would decline 68%, affording some residents a sigh of relief. 

SDG&E claims it does not mark up prices for natural gas, and that the price is largely dictated by market conditions, which can be significantly impacted by weather and pipeline access. 

But Nick was not convinced. 

"I think they kind of got their hands caught… price gouging on the people of San Diego, but… here we are now with a bill that's going to be less," he said. 

Rudford's has been a staple diner in San Diego for decades, and even though the location has been in business since 1949, Jeff warned the "out of control" prices could be driving businesses out as the cost of living soars. 

"I think they're running us out of here," Jeff said. "It's out of control. The costs are out of control."