Piedmont offers rebates for energy efficiency

The North Carolina Utilities Commission has approved Piedmont Natural Gas Company’s $1.28-million conservation plan, according to the Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area. The program will offer customers rebates to buy high-efficiency gas water heaters and space heaters. Piedmont, the state’s largest gas utility, will give rebates up to $50 for traditional water heaters, $250 for tankless water heaters and $300 for furnaces. The plan also includes retrofitting homes of low-income individuals for greater energy efficiency and providing conservation services to nonprofit organizations. Last October, state regulators approved a rate increase that will add $18 to $20 per year to the average residential customer’s bill. As part of the rate agreement, Piedmont agreed to spend $1.28 million annually on conservation programs such as improving the insulation for low-income customers’ homes. Piedmont has spent $1.25 million annually on conservation in the last three years.

Columbia says gas costs up slightly

Heating fuel will cost Columbia Gas of Ohio Inc. customers slightly more in September compared with August, but costs continue to hover at a seven-year low. According to a report in Business First of Columbus, the utility recently said customers will pay 54 cents per 100 cubic feet of natural gas in September, up two cents from August but 55 cents, or 50%, below September 2008. The average bill next month will be $24.83, down from $28.02 a year ago. The utility said the natural gas cost for September is only the second time since the fall of 2002 that the price has dipped below 62 cents per 100 cubic feet. Natural gas costs hit record highs last summer, sending Columbia’s monthly gas cost recovery to a high of $1.43 per 100 cubic feet in July 2008. Costs have decreased nearly every month since. Based in Columbus, Columbia Gas is one of nine energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. Columbia Gas is the largest natural gas utility in Ohio, serving 1.4 million customers in 60 of the state’s 88 counties.

Northwest to cut up to 100 positions

Northwest Natural Gas Co. says it will cut its work force by up to 100 positions as it adjusts to slower customer growth. As reported in the Portland Business Journal, the news came within the utility’s second quarter report in which it matched its results from a year earlier while falling short of analyst estimates. Through six months, the utility’s earnings grew to $50.4 million, or $1.90 per share, a nine percent increase over the previous year’s $46.5 million, or $1.75 per share. The improved financial results are attributed mainly to commodity cost savings, a regulatory incentive sharing mechanism and a regulatory adjustment for paid income taxes. But the weak economy and resulting drop in the housing market has slowed utility customer growth. The 662,000 customers served by Northwest Natural as of June 30 is just 0.8% higher than the previous year. At that time, the company grew its customer total by 2.5%. As a result, the company will cut the equivalent of 50 to 100 positions, the majority of which will happen by the end of the year. The cuts could include options other than eliminating jobs, such as not filling positions left open by attrition.

SCE&G wins website award

The South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) website, www.sceg.com, was named one of the top three utility websites in the United States according to E SOURCE, a utility industry enchmarking group. SCE&G’s website was ranked first in the southern region among all utilities, while SCE&G ranked third overall nationally among the 100 U.S. and Canadian utilities E SOURCE studied. The “E SOURCE 2009 Review of North American Electric and Gas Company Web Sites” examined the websites between December 2008 and May 2009. Using a list of criteria developed from an E SOURCE survey, a team of residential customers examined each utility website. The websites were also tested from mobile devices as a new twist in this year’s study. The reviews were conducted from the perspective of general Internet use, so the sites were rated against the best in class across all websites, not just utility websites. Among its user friendly features, SCE&G’s website allows customers to report and check the status of power outages online from their PDA or Internet-ready cell phone; perform an online home energy audit; or even complete a 24-month bill analysis that provides customers detailed charts on how much energy they are using and provides ideas on how to save both energy and money.