Billing

As of Jan. 1, Ohio’s natural gas customers have safeguards and benefits provided by the state’s recently adopted Natural Gas Service Standards. The new standards address service installation, metering, billing and customer service issues in an effort to ensure fair and reliable service.

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) decided Tuesday to establish emergency billing practices to create some relief for customers from high natural gas and power costs this winter.

For the winter billing period of November through April, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Thursday its 3.8 million residential customers will receive baseline volume increases of 5% to 26% for the lowest natural gas rates that it charges.

Kimball Resources Inc. announced that it will be hosting an online bidding event beginning June 11 and running through June 18, including Requests for Quotations (RFQ) from DaimlerChrysler Corp., General Electric Aircraft Engines, Detroit Diesel and Ford Motor Co., which will entail approximately 26 separate RFQs for approximately 45 Bcf of gas on an annualized basis throughout North America. The term requested is for one year beginning July 1.

Billing them as “two new whistleblowers,” California political officials responded last week to heavy counterattacks in the news media by Duke Energy North America, which strongly argues it has done nothing wrong. The state politicians brought forth two additional former power plant workers who allege wrongdoing by Duke in the operation of a San Diego County generation plant.

Accusing the state’s utilities of unlawfully billing customers,the Industrial Energy Users-Ohio and the Ohio ManufacturersAssociation went to court this week to prevent the Public UtilitiesCommission of Ohio from imposing extra charges for a low-incomecustomer assistance program.

After a two-year delay because of computer snafus related tobilling, East Ohio Gas finally is preparing to join the state’s twoother major gas distribution companies in offering customer choiceacross its entire system. It also has agreed to stop sellingnatural gas entirely by 2004.

After a two-year delay because of computer snafus related tobilling, East Ohio Gas finally is preparing to join the state’s twoother major gas distribution companies in offering customer choiceacross its entire system. It also has agreed to stop sellingnatural gas entirely by 2004.

Utilipro Inc., an 80% AGL Resources-owned billing and customerservice provider, announced last week it is cutting staff andreorganizing because energy deregulation is taking hold too slowly.