One year after opening its entire Ohio territory to retail gassupplier competition, Columbia Gas of Ohio said nearly 500,000customers, or about one-third of those eligible, are buying gasfrom marketers rather than the utility. Columbia serves 1.3 millioncustomers in the state.

Columbia’s Customer CHOICE program was introduced in Toledo inearly 1997 and expanded statewide last fall. It is one of thelargest open access programs in the country, behind only Georgia inthe number of customers eligible and participating.

Columbia said yesterday that so far customers have saved morethan $32 million, or from 6% to 12% of the average monthlyresidential bill. In Toledo, savings have reached $12.5 million and50% of the eligible customers are participating. There are 31active suppliers competing.

“The results show that consumers are responding enthusiasticallyto the opportunity to comparison shop for energy the way they shopfor other goods and services – what we call economic democracy,”said CEO Robert C. Skaggs Jr. “What’s even more remarkable is thatwe’ve achieved outstanding results despite a series of extremelymild winters..”

©Copyright 1999 Intelligence Press, Inc. All rightsreserved. The preceding news report may not be republished orredistributed in whole or in part without prior written consent ofIntelligence Press, Inc.