High Summer Gas Prices Still Impacting Columbia Gas Customers

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Posted: 5:30 PM Jan 12, 2009
Last Updated: 6:20 PM Jan 12, 2009
Reporter: Meteorologist Lauren Raymer
Email Address: lauren.raymer@wkyt.com

3 comments

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Even though natural gas market prices have dropped, Columbia Gas customers are still paying for the price hike that happened this past summer.

About 50% of the gas used during the winter comes from storage. Columbia Gas purchases gas for the winter during the summer months.
Usually, gas prices are lowest during the summer because there is a decreased demand.

The summer of 2008 was unusual because gas prices were extremely high when gas companies began stocking up. Therefore, customers will still be paying for the high-priced, already purchased gas instead of the current market price.

Columbia Gas offers a budget billing plan to help alleviate high winter heating costs. The plan spreads out customers payments over a 12-month span to create a fairly fixed monthly bill.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Mad Location: KY on Jan 13, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Another company taking advantage of the public without any regulation by the state. How ironic that natural gas prices will drop in March when nobody uses the product for 6 months after that. Gas futures are around 5.00 today and have been under 7.00 since October. We are paying more than double that right now. I also noticed my last bill was 34 days, and my January bill will be 33 days. Since when do we have 34 days in a month?

Posted by: Rick Location: Lexington on Jan 13, 2009 at 09:01 AM
It's all fine and good as long as when it's time for my budget plan to be renewed in July the price goes down dramatically based on the price of gas this winter and it should be as low or even lower next summer.

Posted by: Jericho on Jan 12, 2009 at 10:41 PM
they love a good profit scam, stick it to 'em Columbia/Chesapeake

Posted by: Woody Location: Frankfort, KY on Jan 12, 2009 at 06:56 PM
LOL. Nonsense. It's ludicrous to believe that Columbia just coincidentally bought nat gas at the all time historical high and will only change its current rate in March as the temperatures rise. Any person with a tad of commen sense who follows the futures market realizes the scam being perpetrated. This is just another example of how our incompetent regulatory agencies have failed us.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Morehead on Jan 12, 2009 at 05:44 PM
Why did Columbia Gas purchase all of this gas at the high prices? It don't make sense. I think they need new management.

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