FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION CONTACT OUCC Public Information Officer IURC Director of Public Information
NIPSCO PARTICIPATES IN ARBOR DAY ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT NORTHERN INDIANA
Merrillville, IN - Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) announced today that its gas cost adjustment (GCA) for May 2001 would slightly decrease from the previous month. However, residential customers may see some further reductions in their monthly statement due to lower seasonal usage. NIPSCO's business and commercial gas customers may see decreases on their May billing statements as well.
For example, a typical NIPSCO residential customer using 50 therms of natural gas during April should expect a $.14 decrease in their May billing, or approximately a quarter of one percent reduction from the previous month.
This adjustment was approved subject to refund by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC).
Natural gas commodity prices for May 2001 are projected to track closely to April 2001 prices. The slight change for residential customers can be attributed to a reduction in demand and an increase in temperatures. However, overall demand remains constant as annual winter storage inventories are replenished.
The GCA is an allowed monthly adjustment to the gas supply charge portion of NIPSCO's natural gas service rates. The adjustment, which must be approved by the IURC, reflects the fluctuations in the price NIPSCO pays in the marketplace for natural gas. The company passes on the costs of the natural gas directly to customers without any markup.
Aside from the gas supply charge, the other components of NIPSCO's monthly gas statements include service costs for gas delivery, and state and local taxes. These service costs, which are also regulated by the IURC, vary with monthly gas use.
Customers may contact the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor toll-free at (888) 441-2494, or visit their website at www.in.gov/oucc. The OUCC is the state agency that represents the interests of Indiana consumers in matters related to the provision of utility services.
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) may be contacted toll-free at (800) 851-4268, or via their website at www.state.in.us/iurc. An advocate of neither the public nor the utilities, the IURC is required by state statute to make decisions that balance the interests of all parties to ensure that utilities provide adequate and reliable service at reasonable prices.
NIPSCO, with headquarters in Merrillville, Ind., is one of the 10 energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). With approximately 700,000 natural gas customers and 430,000 electric customers across the northern third of Indiana, NIPSCO is the largest natural gas distribution company, and the second largest electric distribution company, in the state. NiSource distribution companies serve 3.6 million natural gas and electric customers primarily in nine states. More information about NIPSCO is available at www.nipsco.com.
May 2, 2001
Julia Van De Water, Manager
NIPSCO Communications
(219) 647-6375
Anthony Swinger
(317) 233-2747
Mary Beth Fisher
(317) 232-2297
NIPSCO ANNOUNCES GAS COST ADJUSTMENT
TO SLIGHTLY DECREASE IN MAY