Mayor Jones Announces Lower Fuel Costs for Richmond Natural Gas Customers

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Beginning with the first utility bills in January 2016, natural gas customers of the city of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) will see a savings on their monthly utility bill.  Mayor Dwight C. Jones has authorized DPU to lower the Purchased Gas Cost (PGC) portion of the natural gas utility bill from $0.425 to $0.325 per Ccf (100 cubic feet). Other components of the natural gas bill – the distribution charge and customer charge – are unchanged.   

The PGC rate of the average residential customer who uses 70 Ccf’s of natural gas per month will pay approximately $71.11 compared to a current bill of $78.11.  This equates to a 24 percent reduction in the PGC rate charged by the City and an overall ten (10) percent reduction in the entire natural gas bill.  At the time of this release, DPU’s PGC rate is less than or equal to surrounding natural gas franchises. Mayor Jones stated, “This is more good news for our customers. We are always pleased when we are in a position to offer significant savings. The City continues to review and adjust the gas costs on a quarterly basis to reflect the price that DPU pays for natural gas and we’ve been able to steadily reduce the costs over the past year.  By law, we pass along the cost of the natural gas purchased and delivered to our customers, dollar for dollar without any markup.”    
   
Across all energy sectors (electricity, heating oil, propane), natural gas prevails as the most efficient and economical choice of fuel for home heating, water heating, cooking and clothes drying.
DPU offers information and programs year-round to encourage customers to better manage their utility bills and seek assistance before bills become unmanageable.  DPU also encourages customers to consider enrolling in the Equal Monthly Payment Plan in order to avoid large seasonal fluctuations in their monthly bill.  More information about EMPP and other programs is available by calling (804) 646-7000 or visiting DPU’s website at http://www.richmondgov.com/dpu.