READING - UGI Central Penn Gas (UGI CPG) said purchased gas cost rates will increase on June 1 for residential, commercial and industrial customers. The increase is due to such factors as the expanding U.S. demand for natural gas caused by the return to normal winter temperatures in 2012-2013, and firming prices due to the improving U.S. economy, the company reported in a press release.
UGI CPG will notify the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) of this rate change through a purchased gas cost filing.
UGI CPG is also filing its annual request with the PUC to establish purchased gas cost rates as of Dec. 1. If UGI CPG's requests are approved, the average residential heating customer's bill will increase by approximately 6.9 percent on June 1 and by approximately 3.6 percent on Dec. 1.
Even with full implementation of UGI CPG's June and proposed December purchased gas cost adjustments, the average monthly bill for UGI CPG customers will remain more than 25 percent lower than it was five years ago, the company reports. The availability of increasing volumes of reasonably priced, locally produced supply from the Marcellus Shale range has allowed costs to remain well below their 2008 levels.
With full implementation of UGI CPG's June and proposed December purchased gas cost adjustments, the bill for a typical residential retail heating customer who uses about 68.4 hundred cubic feet (ccf) of natural gas per month will increase from $90.02 per month to $96.20 on June 1 and to $99.61 on Dec. 1. The bill for a typical commercial retail customer using 23.7 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) per month will increase from $225.94 per month to $247.23 on June 1 and to $260.07 per month on Dec. 1. The bill for a typical industrial retail customer using 154.6 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) per month will increase from $1,304.98 per month to $1,443.73 on June 1 and to $1,527.42 per month on Dec. 1.
Customers may call UGI CPG at 1-800-652-0550 to receive further information on the proposed rates.
The company serves approximately 77,000 customers in 35 counties in eastern and central Pennsylvania.