Columbia Gas rates going up in March

2/28/2013

Columbia Gas of Ohio Inc. will charge customers 50 cents per 100 cubic feet of natural gas in March, a two-cent increase over February. The rate is based on the New York Mercantile Exchange’s new closing price of 35 cents per 100 cubic feet, plus 15 cents for a state-approved service fee.

A year ago, the rate was 43 cents per 100 cubic feet. With the new rate, the average residential bill will be $97, according to the utility.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio conducted an auction on Wednesday to set the price of the service fee that is added to the overall price of gas. Starting in April, the service fee will decrease to 13 cents from the current 15 cents per 100 cubic feet of natural gas.