Columbia Gas of Virginia is raising its fuel-supply rate for the winter months, but residential customers' bills will be 12 percent lower than a year ago.
The new rate, in effect for December through February, will climb 27 percent, to 99 cents per 100 cubic feet, or Ccf, compared with 78 cents now. It will bring the monthly bill for a customer using the seasonal average of 100 Ccf to $138.42, compared with $157.66 from the same period last winter.
The fuel-supply rate accounts for only a portion of a customer's bill and represents the company's cost to buy the gas, which it passes on to customers with no markup.
The increase reflects higher projected wholesale prices for natural gas and new charges for Columbia Gas' use of new pipelines coming into the area to ensure enough capacity to meet demand, said Bob Innes, the company's spokesman.
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