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Some Ohioans will have to pay more for natural gas this winter, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Luckily, they won't pay as much as they might have after a proposed Columbus Gas hike of $212 million was whittled down.
Consumer advocates worked with Columbia Gas of Ohio to reduced the proposed increase of $212 million. Although the company still earned the right to raise customers' heating bills, they will now only do so by $68.3 million. That rate increase will cost an average customer about $50 a year, according to an estimation by Columbia. Columbia's intital request would have increased natural gas bills by as 27%.
The rate increase will take effect for the company's 1.4 million customers in the first quarter of 2023.
“We remain concerned about the impact of rising natural gas prices on Ohio families and businesses,” Bruce Weston, agency director for the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, said in a statement. He also encouraged customers to take energy efficient steps to moderate their heating bills during the upcoming winter months.
In the same statement, the nonprofit energy supplier NOPEC thanked Columbia for negotiating with them. “We appreciate Columbia’s willingness to work with the parties to achieve a compromise," executive director Chuck Keiper added.