Public hearing planned on Dominion gas costs

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Area consumers will have an opportunity to respond to Dominion East Ohio’s proposal to change the distribution portion of its billing for residential accounts.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has scheduled a public hearing at 2 p.m. Monday at Youngstown City Hall, 26 S. Phelps St.

Dominion has requested to move from a usage-based fee to a flat fee of $17.50 per month per bill for the distribution of natural gas, regardless of consumers’ consumption.

A small, variable distribution fee ranging from 36 cents to $1.24 per thousand cubic feet of gas would still be added for distribution.

Dominion charges customers in Northeast Ohio $5.70 per month in administrative fees, such as meter reading and billing. The company also charges a distribution fee that varies per usage to cover the cost of delivering gas.

The PUCO staff has recommended that the administrative and distribution fees be combined into a flat rate.

According to the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, it has opposed raising the fee because it would negatively impact customers who attempt to conserve energy and would result in low-use gas customers subsidizing high-use customers for the delivery portions of their bills.

PUCO has scheduled additional hearings throughout the summer for Lima, Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Geneva and Marietta.