WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., June 15 /CNW/ - On June 1, 2006, National Fuel Gas
Company (NYSE: NFG) ("National Fuel") announced that National Fuel Gas
Distribution Corporation ("Distribution"), the Utility segment of National
Fuel, filed a request with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to
increase annual operating revenues by $25,892,000 to cover increases in the
cost of providing service to the Utility's customers in northwestern
Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania division serves approximately 214,000 customers
in 14 counties in northwestern Pennsylvania. If approved as filed, the average
bill for a typical residential customer using 83 hundred cubic feet of gas per
month would increase $9.95, from $143.97 to $153.92 per month or by 6.9% and
would be effective July 30, 2006. The requested increase would impact the
Delivery Service Charges portion of a customer's bill.
Several factors are driving this request. They include increases in the
costs associated with Distribution's ongoing construction program as well as
increases in difficult-to-control costs such as uncollectible accounts.
The PUC will examine the requested rate increase, and may grant all, some
or none of the request. Under normal circumstances, the proposed increase in
rates would be suspended by the PUC for up to seven months to become effective
about February 28, 2007.
National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, the Utility segment of
National Fuel Gas Company, provides natural gas service to more than 500,000
customers in western New York and more than 200,000 customers in northwestern
Pennsylvania. For more information about the proposed rate increase, visit
www.nationalfuelgas.com and see 'Customer Publications' under the 'For Home'
section of the website. National Fuel is an integrated energy company with
$3.9 billion in assets comprised of the following five operating segments:
Utility, Pipeline and Storage, Exploration and Production, Energy Marketing,
and Timber. Additional information about National Fuel is available at
www.nationalfuelgas.com or through its investor information service at
1-800-334-2188.
