Apr. 1--If you have not chosen your own natural-gas supplier and have continued to buy your gas from the regulated utility, Dominion East Ohio, this month marks a much-anticipated change.

Also, the monthly price paid by customers who do not choose their own natural-gas supplier will go down considerably later this month.

Beginning with this month's bill, those customers will be assigned to a state-approved supplier under the new program called the Standard Choice Offer (SCO). The price the customers pay will be determined each month by the market rate plus a state-approved "adder" and is the same for all SCO customers, regardless of what supplier is chosen for them.

While Dominion East Ohio will continue to bill all customers -- including those who have chosen their own provider -- customers who have not chosen one will see the name of their new supplier on their bill, beginning April 20.

SCO customers can choose their own supplier and rate at any time.

Customers who already choose their own supplier will not be affected but might see some savings if they have chosen a monthly variable rate from a marketer.

The monthly price for customers who haven't chosen another supplier, which used to be called the Standard Service Offer or SSO price, will be $5.03 per thousand cubic feet (mcf) beginning April 20. That's $1.36, or 21.2 percent, lower than the March monthly price of $6.39/mcf. That's also $5.99/mcf or 54.3 percent lower than last April's price of $11.02/mcf.

According to the utility, the average customer's April bill will be $75.69, down $41.60 or 35.5 percent from last April's bill.

Dominion's monthly regulated price is also often used as the price to beat for monthly variable rates available from competitive suppliers. The price is determined by the settlement price of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) monthly closing price at the end of each month, plus a $1.40/mcf adder approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

Natural-gas prices on the NYMEX market continue to drop as recession-driven economy causes a reduction in industrial demand.

Dominion will continue to provide the SSO price for "Percentage of Income Payment Plan" customers and those not eligible to participate in "Energy Choice." The SCO and SSO Prices will be identical.

Also, Dominion on April 14 will institute a late-payment charge of 1.5 percent. Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@ thebeaconjournal.com.

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