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Columbia Gas Promises Adequate Supply

Posted on: Monday, 14 November 2005, 21:00 CST

By Sean Adkins, York Daily Record, Pa.

Nov. 11--Natural gas distribution companies from around the state gathered in Harrisburg Thursday to offer their take on the supply of fuel this winter season.

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania assured the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission at its "Preparing Now for Winter: Supply, Price and Service" hearing that the company will have an adequate fuel supply this winter heating season under a wide range of weather conditions, said Michael D. Anderson, director of supply planning for NiSource.

A division of NiSource, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania serves more than 82,000 customers in York County.

Columbia Gas inked firm contracts with its suppliers last summer, prior to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

About 20 percent of the nation's natural gas is produced by suppliers stationed in the Gulf of Mexico, he said. Fortunately, more than 40 percent of the natural gas production in the Gulf that had been shuttered has come back online.

As of Nov. 1, Columbia Gas' suppliers had not notified the company that any of its earmarked stock would not be available for the winter heating season.

Columbia Gas' storage levels remain 99.1 percent full. Under normal weather patterns, the company would use 57.5 percent of that storage to meet supply requirements.

While Columbia Gas has assured the public of its adequate supply, the price for that gas cannot be set. Even before supplies were lost to the hurricanes, a growing global demand for natural gas had begun to put pressure on a tight supply.

Last month, Columbia Gas boosted residential utility bills by 46.91 percent for the current heating season.

The average residential Columbia Gas customer who uses 8.6 thousand cubic feet of natural gas will pay a monthly increase of $100.71 to $147.95. In January, the company will again file a quarterly report that could call for a slight drop in total gas costs, Anderson said.

"But residents consume more natural gas in December and January," he said. For that reason, residents might not immediately see the savings, he said.

So far, Columbia Gas has only experienced a slight uptick in interest in the company's budget payment plan, said Patricia M. Terpin, director of customer program compliance at Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania.

About 30 percent of the company's customers are enrolled in the budget payment plan.

In January, after customers receive their first cold-weather bill, the company expects a large volume of requests for budget payment plan enrollment, Terpin said.

The company will ensure that the schedules of its part-time workers are flexible enough so employees can field all calls relating to savings plans, she said. Between January and March, Columbia Gas will offer a special budget plan promotion to customers who may experience payment difficulty for the first time. The new program will extend the budget plan payback period from 12 months to 18 months, Terpin said.

SAVE ENERGY

--Set thermostats to between 65 and 69 degrees. Set to 58 degrees when away from home by using an automatic-setback thermostat.

--Seal leaks around doors, windows and pipes with caulk or weather stripping.

--Install storm or thermal windows. Use plastic sheeting over windows.

--Set water heater temperatures to 120 degrees.

--Close vents and doors in unused rooms. Close dampers on unused fireplaces.

--Change or clean furnace filters once a month during the heating season.

Source: American Gas Association

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Copyright (c) 2005, York Daily Record, Pa.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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NI,

Source: York Daily Record

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