Columbia Gas leaves rate nearly unchanged

Area customers of Columbia Gas of Ohio will pay almost the same price in June for their natural gas as they did in May.

The primary gas utility in northwest Ohio filed a request yesterday with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to be allowed to charge 97.7 cents per 100 cubic feet for June, compared with 98.1 cents for this month.

The drop stems from a slight decrease in producers' prices, a spokesman said. Because use of natural gas, most of which is burned for heating, is less in June, the average monthly bill next month will be $42.73, compared with $79.20 this month, the spokesman said.