PSC ORDERS NATURAL GAS BILLS DECREASED

(11/02/2011)
It got a little bit cheaper to heat your home, following an order issued by the WV Public Service Commission.

Natural gas utilities across that state will lower their rates, following a PSC ruling last month.

When the PSC did its annual review of natural gas rates in mid-October, it found the utilities were paying less in their purchase of natural gas than this time last year.

The PSC ordered utilities to pass the savings to consumers.

The PSC says reasons for the lower natural gas prices include reduced demand and an increase in supply with more natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

The average Mountaineer Gas customer will save 9 percent on their monthly bill. Mountaineer has 225,000 customers in 49 of the state's 55 counties.

But not every household will see a drop.

Hope Gas customers will actually see an increase because the company over-billed in 2009 and they gave customers a large rebate in 2010 to make up for it.

To level out their rates they're charging 18 percent more than last year.

However, Hope stresses customer's bills will still be cheaper they they were in 2008.