Columbia Gas of Virginia customers will see their monthly bills increase 5.5 percent in June, compared with the current typical amount.
The typical monthly bill will be $41.76, compared with the current $39.57, the Chesterfield County-based company said.
This comparison is based on a monthly summer usage of 23 Ccf, Columbia Gas said. Ccf, the measurement used for natural gas usage, is equivalent to 100 cubic feet.
Columbia’s gas costs are typically adjusted quarterly to reflect the price the company pays for natural gas, which by law is passed on dollar for dollar to customers without markup or profit, the company said.
“Our customers and the Virginia economy continue to benefit from advanced technologies which are providing America an abundance of domestically produced, low-cost, clean and reliable natural gas energy,” said Carl Levander, Columbia’s president. “Even with minor price fluctuations in natural gas markets recently, we continue to see ongoing, long-term supply and price stability that have the ability to provide economically priced energy for all consumers.”
Levander urged customers to sign up for company programs to help manage their energy use — its WarmWise energy efficiency program and the Budget Payment Plan. The WarmWise program offers free products that can save on natural gas and water consumption, while the Budget Payment Plan enables customers to spread out their annual energy costs evenly.
“These services provide additional ways to save money and stabilize monthly bills,” he said.
Columbia Gas of Virginia provides natural gas to more than 245,000 customers in parts of suburban Richmond, central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, the Shenandoah Valley, the Lynchburg area and parts of western Virginia.