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Columbia Gas of Ohio Offers Tips to Help Manage Heating Bills
in Tough Economic Times
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
December 30, 2008
For Additional
Information
Chris Kozak
Communications and Community
Relations Manager
419.252.8147
Toledo, Ohio – As more households feel the impact of the
economic downturn, Columbia Gas of Ohio is offering several tips
to help lessen the impact of natural gas bills on a family’s
budget.
Interrupting someone’s service is always the last resort for
Columbia Gas, and the company will do what ever it can to work
with a customer to ensure service is not interrupted. To help
consumers avoid that situation, the company suggests several
proactive steps, including:
Budget Payment Plan
Spreading a natural gas bill evenly over a 12-month period
allows a consumer to lessen the impact of high winter heating
bills by paying the same amount over the course of a year, thus
freeing funds to pay for food, medicine or shelter in the
household budget. To enroll in the Budget Payment Plan,
customers can enroll online or by phone. Customers can enroll in
the plan at any time as long as the account is current.
CHOICE Marketer
The CHOICE program allows customers to purchase their natural
gas from an energy marketer, possibly at a lower price. With the
natural gas cost making up nearly 80 percent of the total
heating bill, and customers using the majority of natural gas
during the winter heating season, a reduction in the cost of the
commodity at this time of year can have a significant impact on
natural gas bills. Some marketers may offer fixed-price plans
that reduce the monthly volatility of gas costs. For more
information, a customer can refer to the top-left portion of
their monthly bill to see who they purchase their gas from, and
how much they pay for natural gas, or they can visit
www.puco.ohio.gov for an apples-to-apples comparison chart. Of
note, more then 84 percent of natural gas customers in Lucas
County purchase their gas from a third-party marketer rather
than Columbia Gas.
Use Energy Wisely
Reducing the amount of natural gas a home uses is the easiest
way to lower a natural gas bill. Low-to-no cost energy saving
tips include: Installing a programmable thermostat, turning the
water heater temperature down from 140 to 120 degrees, sealing
air leaks in a home, washing clothes in cold water and running
only full loads in the dryer. Conservation efforts can
save up to $180 a year on an average
natural gas bill.
Contact Columbia Gas
At the first sign there may be issues paying a natural gas bill,
customers are encouraged to contact Columbia Gas of Ohio at
1-800-344-4077. There are several payment plans and options
available for customer who feels that they might have a problem
paying their winter heating bills.
Good news for all Columbia Gas of Ohio customers: the projected
January bill will be $199.84, making it the lowest average
January natural gas bill for Columbia Gas customers in five
years.
Columbia Gas of Ohio, with headquarters in Columbus, is one of
the nine energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE:
NI). Serving approximately 1.4 million customers in 60 of Ohio’s
88 counties, it is the largest natural gas utility in the state.
NiSource distribution companies serve approximately 3.8 million
gas and electric customers primarily in seven states. More
information about Columbia Gas of Ohio is available at:
ColumbiaGasOhio.com.
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