FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 27, 2001

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Julia Van De Water, Manager NIPSCO Communications (219) 647-6375

MERRILLVILLE-Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) recently announced the winners of its DirectLink Contest.

The Robert Ballard family, Munster, Ind., is the Grand Prize winner and will receive complimentary utility bills for the months of December, January and February, not to exceed a combined total of $600. Nancy Beres, Portage, was the second prize winner and will receive a complimentary December utility bill, not to exceed $200. In addition, 85 customers from across NIPSCO's service territory were winners in weekly drawings of $20 applied as a credit on their statement.

In total, more than 360,000 transactions were successfully completed utilizing DirectLink.

"We wanted to inform customers that they have the ability to access the services they most frequently request on their own--without having to speak directly to a customer service representative," said Violet Sistovaris, executive director of Customer Service for NIPSCO. "With the number of customers who used the new system and participated in the contest, I think we achieved that goal."

The contest, which began in July and ended Oct. 31, logged customers who called in and utilized the automated system to complete a transaction. Customers who successfully used DirectLink, were entered into weekly drawings for a $20 credit on their next month's statement. All customers who qualified for the weekly drawings were then entered into the grand prize drawing at the end of the contest.

"When I heard we were the grand prize winners, I thought it must be some kind of joke," said Robert Ballard. "We never win anything. But it's true. We won, and all because we used the new automated system. It was easy."

In addition to the ability to retrieve important account information, enroll in the company's BudgetPlan and make credit arrangements, if eligible, customers can access their account to determine their current status as well as retrieve pay station locations where they can make a bill payment.

According to Sistovaris, customers can also make payments by credit and debit card or receive information on energy assistance programs. She stated that additional options will be announced and made available to customers early in 2002.

"With today's changing technologies and busier lifestyles, we have to be able to provide our customers with the services that best meet their needs," Sistovaris said.

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.