About Our Gas Rate Case 

Reduction in Your Natural Gas Bill

NIPSCO, the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) and other key customer stakeholders have reached a settlement agreement in NIPSCO’s pending natural gas rate case. The settlement was filed with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010, and is subject to commission review and approval.

The settlement, also signed and agreed upon by the NIPSCO Industrial Group, the NIPSCO Marketer Group and Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, will result in a rate decrease for all NIPSCO natural gas customer classes. The settlement also calls for continued strong support for low-income customer assistance, energy efficiency and conservation programs.

Benefits of Our Gas Rate Filing

  • Continues investment in Indiana’s energy infrastructure to ensure safe, reliable delivery of energy and support economic growth for years to come, without increased customer rates
  • Provides rates that reduce seasonal volatility in customer bills and supports energy conservation
  • Extends programs that help you reduce gas usage and manage your monthly bills, including:
    • Cash incentives for buying energy-efficient gas appliances
    • Energy assistance for income-eligible customers who are facing financial challenges
    • High-efficiency furnace replacement for qualifying low-income households
    • Convenient self-service tools to give you more control over your energy use and your bill
    • Incentive programs for new construction homes that meet ENERGY STAR guidelines
    • Energy efficiency education for local schools to create future energy-wise consumers

What It Means to Customers

  • NIPSCO customers have the lowest gas bills in Indiana, and we want to continue offering the lowest gas bills under this proposal. For NIPSCO’s 660,000 residential natural gas customers, the reduction equates to a savings of approximately $7.50 per year, per customer. 
     
  • New rates will help separate fixed monthly service costs from variable, usage-driven costs, allowing customers to better track and manage energy consumption.
  • We realize any increase is challenging. That’s why we are proposing extending our programs that help our customers reduce gas usage and lower their monthly bills.
  • We also have made a decision to reduce security deposit requirements for low-income customers. This change will occur separately from the rate proceeding.

Review by IURC

  • The IURC will thoroughly review the joint proposal before taking action. We expect the Commission’s review to be completed as early as November 2010. New rates would be effective immediately following a decision.