Washington Gas is expanding its customer choice program inMaryland, targeting 100,000 residential customers or one-third ofthe total, and all of its 25,000 commercial customers in the state.The company said it received approval for the expansion from theMaryland Public Service Commission.

Last year 18,000 Maryland residential customers had signed up tochoose a gas supplier other than Washington Gas, triple the numberwho participated the previous year. “We anticipate the program willgrow by the same amount in each of the next two years,” said JoeSchepis, Washington Gas executive vice president and COO. “So inthe year 2000 all of our Maryland customers should be able to enjoythe benefits of this competitive market.” Four marketersparticipated in the earlier residential program, with affiliateWashington Gas Energy Services snaring about a third of thecustomers. Constellation Energy, Horizon and Connectiv were theother marketers.

Enrollment for new residential customers will begin July 1 andrun continuously, with service beginning as early as Sept. 1.Enrollment begins immediately for commercial customers and runs ona continuing basis with deliveries starting as early as June 1.Washington Gas will be inserting information about the program,including names and contact numbers for alternative suppliers, incustomers’ gas bills.

Washington Gas has just had customer choice programs approvedfor its smaller customer base in the District of Columbia for largecommercial and residential customers. The residential pilot willallow up to 3,000 customers to choose their supplier. In Virginia,where the company has 319,000 customers, or close to the Marylandtotal, the state commission is considering residential andcommercial customer choice plans.

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