New Gas Measure In Debate

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio agrees to a measure that could increase fixed monthly charges to 1.4 million Ohio natural gas customers by more than 50% over the next five years. Regulators approved a compromise that was agreed to by Columbia Gas and the Office of the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel, the state’s ratepayer-funded consumer representative. It means that after five years, gas customers might be paying as much as $58 a month, simply to have gas service. The charge doesn’t include the cost of gas itself, the price of which also has increased sharply in recent years.