Columbia Gas to reduce charges

Chester-based Columbia Gas of Virginia announced Tuesday that it will reduce consumer charges starting Wednesday.

The company said the monthly bill for a typical residential customer will fall roughly 5 percent or $6.72 per month.

Specifically, a residential customer using the equivalent of 10,000 cubic feet of natural gas monthly would receive a bill of $127.09 instead of $133.81.

The reduced bills are the result of a quarterly purchased-gas cost adjustment approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

The adjustment reflects the projected cost of natural gas for the next three months. By law, utilities are required to pass through the costs they pay for natural gas to the consumer on a dollar-for-dollar basis without markup. 
Columbia Gas has an energy efficiency and conservation program, WarmWise, which offers customers cash rebates to help manage their monthly bills.

Columbia Gas of Virginia serves customers in portions of Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, suburban Richmond, Central Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, the Lynchburg area and parts of Western Virginia.  It is one of seven energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc.